Deadline Reminder for SBA Disaster Assistance for Residents Affected by Tornadoes, High Winds, Severe Storms

(UNDATED) – The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters to apply for a disaster loan for physical damage before the September 3rd deadline.

Anyone in the declared counties in Indiana with damages caused by tornadoes, high winds and severe storms on June 15th through the 17th should apply for the SBA disaster loan assistance.

The declaration covers Monroe County and the adjacent counties of Brown, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Morgan, and Owen.

Indiana businesses and residents affected by tornadoes, high winds and severe storms on May 27 can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Acting Administrator Christopher Pilkerton announced.

“Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets,” said SBA’s Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

“Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property,” said Kem Fleming, center director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.75 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 1.938 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amount and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.

Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Completed applications should be returned to the center or mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Aug. 12, 2019. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 12, 2020.