Homeowners, renters, merchants and farmers who suffered losses in the July 1 flash flooding can now receive help from the federal government.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has set up an office in Crystal City to process claims from owners of homes, renters and business owners.
The SBA is making available low-interest loans carrying a repayment term of up to 30 years.
“We will cover substantial losses to homes, a homeowner’s personal property including furniture, appliances and automobiles. The limit is up to $200,000 for real estate losses and $40,000 for personal property,” said Roger Busch, a public information officer for the SBA.
“The big key to this for people to remember is that the SBA disaster loan program is for a lot of people. Even though we’re the Small Business Administration, we help renters and homeowners, too.”
In addition to covering merchants’ personal losses, Busch said, the SBA also is lending money to business owners who suffered losses.
“They are covered up to $2 million, and that includes physical losses such as property, equipment and inventory, but it also includes economic injury as well. If a business that is well away from the area affected is suffering a loss of business because of that event, they also can claim those losses,” he said.
The SBA’s office opened today (Aug. 20) at Mercy Hospital Jefferson, 1400 Hwy. 61, Crystal City, in the Marketing Conference Room.
Representatives of the SBA will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays to process applications from Jefferson County residents as well as those from neighboring counties.
The office will be open though Thursday, Sept. 10.
However, Busch said, applications will be taken through Oct. 19 online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or by telephone at 1-800-659-2955.
Economic injury applications will be taken through May 18, 2016. Busch said.
While agricultural losses are not covered by SBA loans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking applications for low-interest loans from farmers through the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
“We don’t process loans for agricultural losses, but farmers who experienced losses to their homes and personal property qualify for SBA loans,” Busch said.
Sheria Yancey, county executive director at the FSA’s office in Union, said the agency’s emergency loss loan program includes help for farmers who suffered livestock loss, damage to fences and other problems.
“Almost anything on a farm is covered, except crop loss,” she said. “Congress has funded a crop insurance program, and the federal government expects farmers to participate. I’m not expecting that they will add crop loss to the emergency program, but you never know.”
Yancey said the FSA’s emergency conservation program will help with problems such as rocks or sand deposited from floods onto agricultural fields, and another program will help reimburse farmers for hay bales that were washed away in floodwaters.
While there is no deadline to apply for the loans for overall losses, she said, the emergency conservation program closes Sept. 18 and the hay bale assistance deadline is Sept. 30.
“We’re asking any farmers who think they have losses to call us at 636-583-2303 (and choose the FSA on the telephone menu) and we’ll talk to them and let them know what’s available,” Yancey said.