SBA Stands Ready to Assist Tennessee Residents Affected by Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Winds and Flooding

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Karen G. Mills issued the following statement after the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration for several counties in Tennessee affected by severe storms, tornadoes, winds and flooding from Feb. 29 to March 2, 2012.

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"The U.S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the people of Tennessee with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and businesses with federal disaster loans. Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA."

The disaster declaration covers the counties of Bradley, Claiborne, Cumberland, DeKalb, Hamilton, Jackson, McMinn, Monroe, Overton and Polk in Tennessee, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.  Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Clay, Fentress, Grainger, Hancock, Loudon, Macon, Marion, Meigs, Morgan, Pickett, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Sequatchie, Smith, Union, Van Buren, Warren, White and Wilson in Tennessee; Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Murray, Walker and Whitfield in Georgia; Bell and Whitley in Kentucky; Cherokee and Graham in North Carolina; and Lee in Virginia.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate.  Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and private non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, 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.

Interest rates are as low as 1.875 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years.  Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 800-621-FEMA (3362), (TTY) 800-462-7585 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Additional details on the locations of Disaster Recovery Centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. 

Those affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA's website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 15, 2012. The deadline to return economic injury applications is December 17, 2012.

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov.

CONTACT: Michael Lampton, +1-404-331-0333

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

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