CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- The federal government has officially declared the mid-December snowstorm that knocked out power to thousands of West Virginians for weeks and crippled traffic along the turnpike a disaster.

The declaration President Barack Obama signed Tuesday enables federal funding and personnel to be allocated to the snow-damaged areas to assist cleanup efforts and assess damage in the affected counties.

Those counties include Boone, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, McDowell, Mingo, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Ritchie, Roane and Wyoming.

Regis Leo Phelan was appointed to serve as the federal coordinating officer for recovery operations in the affected area.