Photo by Jon Anderson
The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened a Business Recovery Center at the Hoover Recreation Center in Hoover, Alabama, to help business owners, nonprofits and residents with assistance related to damages from flooding in Jefferson and Shelby counties on Oct. 6-7, 2021.
The federal government already has paid out more than $9.7 million to people who suffered losses as a result of widespread flooding that occurred in Jefferson and Shelby counties on Oct. 6-7 of last year, according to the Federal Emergency Maganement Agency.
President Biden on Dec. 21 issued a federal disaster declaration for the two counties, making federal help available.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
According to FEMA, as of Jan 7, the National Flood Insurance Program had paid about $8.2 million to people who filed claims in Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Also, 213 homeowners and renters had been approved for $1.1 million in federal grants through FEMA’s Individual and Households Program, including about $1 million in housing assistance grants for home repair, home replacement and/or rental assistance and about $90,000 in other grants to replace essential household items and for other critical disaster-related costs.
To apply for federal assistance through FEMA, residents in Jefferson and Shelby counties can apply online at disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to midnight, or by using the FEMA mobile app.
Applicants will need to provide:
- A current phone number where they can be contacted
- Their address at the time of the disaster and the address where they are now staying
- Their Social Security Administration number
- A general list of damage and losses
- Banking information if they choose direct deposit
- If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name
People who have homeowners or renter’s insurance must also file a claim with their insurance company. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. Applicants will need to provide their insurance claim information to FEMA to determine eligibility for federal assistance.
FEMA also encourages people to take photos to document damage and begin cleanup and repairs to prevent further damage. People should keep receipts from all purchases related to the cleanup and repairs.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION HELP
In addition to FEMA help, as of Jan. 7, 10 residents had been approved for $420,400 in low-interest loans through the Small Business Administration disaster home loan program.
The Small Business Administration is operating a Business Recovery Center at the Hoover Recreation Center at 600 Municipal Drive, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
That temporary office can assist businesses of all sizes, nonprofits as well as homeowners and renters with SBA applications.
Businesses and private nonprofit 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. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20% 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, elevation, retaining walls, and landscaping to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.
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.
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 for up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.
Interest rates are as low as 2.855% for businesses, 2% for nonprofit organizations and 1.563% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts 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 disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/, and should apply under SBA declaration # 17289, not for the COVID-19 incident.
The deadline to apply for federal assistance related to damage from the Oct. 6-7 flooding is Feb. 21.
