McALLEN, Texas (AP) - Residents of three South Texas counties hit by Hurricane Dolly are now eligible for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The White House today approved FEMA's recommendation after spending nearly a week making preliminary damage assessments across Cameron, Willacy and Hidalgo counties.

Residents in those counties will be able to register for the assistance immediately through the FEMA hotline at 800-621-FEMA and the agency's Web site www.fema.gov.

The declaration includes temporary housing assistance for those forced from their homes, money for limited home repairs and as well as replacing some critical possessions. It also opens the door to applying for low-interest loans to rebuild.

A FEMA spokesman, Dean Cushman, said he wasn't sure if Gov. Rick Perry's renewed request for individual assistance today had anything to do with the decision.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)