More than two weeks after Hurricane Irene struck North Carolina, almost $12 million in state and federal aid has been approved to help those affected by the storm.  More an 17,000 survivors have contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help or information regarding disaster assistance. Many people are seeking housing assistance from FEMA because their primary home was lost or damaged.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing Farm Service Agency emergency loan assistance to farmers who suffered losses during Hurricane Irene. The loans are a result of the disaster declaration requested by Gov. Perdue immediately following the Hurricane Irene and approved by President Obama.  The total of counties eligible for Federal disaster assistance is 43.   State and federal assessment efforts continue and more counties could be added later.   Gov. Perdue has also requested an expedited disaster declaration by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who toured crop damage with Perdue following the hurricane. Such a declaration would allow for additional assistance for uninsured crops and restoration of damaged farmland.  Farm Service Agency offices in the affected counties are taking applications for physical and production losses.