Sept. 4 Deadline Approaching for Businesses to Apply for Tropical Storm Debby Assistance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Businesses in counties affected by Tropical Storm Debby can benefit from federal disaster assistance, but the deadline for registration is nearing.

Businesses of all sizes, as well as nonprofit organizations, need to apply for disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration by Sept. 4.  These low-interest loans are intended to cover uninsured or under-insured losses.

Disaster loans are available for businesses that have had business assets damaged by Tropical Storm Debby. Damaged real estate, equipment and inventory are eligible for repair or replacement with SBA disaster loans. Businesses may apply for up to $2 million in loans with interest rates as low as 4 percent.

Businesses suffering substantial economic loss, but no physical property damage may be eligible for an economic injury disaster loan of up to $2 million to meet necessary financial obligations – expenses a business would have paid if the disaster had not occurred.

An electronic loan application may be completed online via SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Business owners can contact the SBA for information by calling 800-659-2955 or going to www.sba.gov. Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY can call 800-877-8339.

Applicants can sign up for Tropical Storm Debby recovery updates via email by going to www.fema.gov/disaster/4068 and clicking the subscription link. It’s a simple process that only requires a valid email address. During signup, subscribers can choose to receive updates immediately, daily or weekly.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or www.floridadisaster.org. On Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/FloridaSERT. To receive Twitter updates: www.twitter.com/FLSERT or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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