Businesses

SBA Disaster Loans for Businesses and Individuals

North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Irene may register for financial assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and return completed SBA disaster loan applications to get the help they need.

The SBA's low-interest disaster loan program is the primary source of federal funds for long-term recovery for uninsured damages caused by a declared disaster.  Completing and returning the loan application package to the SBA is an important part of the recovery process.

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 for physical losses and working capital needs. Interest rates are as low as 2.5 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years.

Business consultants from the  Small Business and Technology Development Center network are available to assist businesses in completing their disaster loan applications at no cost. Call 800-228-8443 or visit www.sbtdc.org for the nearest SBTDC location.

The declaration covers the counties of Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington and Wilson.  Businesses and individuals in these counties 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: Columbus, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Pender, Sampson, Wake and Wayne.  

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 information the loan application process and the locations of Disaster Recovery Centers 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 email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

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 October 31, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 31, 2012.