 By about a week after the passage of the hurricane , President George W. Bush declared disaster areas for 36 North Carolina counties , 77 counties and independent cities in Virginia , the entire state of Maryland , all three counties in Delaware and six West Virginia counties . The disaster declaration allocated the use of federal funds for rebuilding and providing aid in the aftermath of hurricane Isabel . By about four months after the passage of the hurricane , disaster aid totaled about $ 516 million ( 2003 USD , $ 664 million 2016 USD ) , primarily in North Carolina and Virginia . Over 166 @,@ 000 residents applied for individual assistance , with about $ 117 million ( 2003 USD , $ 151 million 2016 USD ) approved for residents to assist with temporary housing and home repairs . About 50 @,@ 000 business owners applied for Small Business Administration loans , with about $ 178 million ( 2003 USD , $ 229 million 2016 USD ) approved for the assistance loans . About 40 @,@ 000 people visited local disaster recovery centers , designed to provide additional information regarding the aftermath of the hurricane . 
