In a small room behind First Lutheran Church in Blair, representatives from the Small Business Administration are preparing to meet with business owners and residents who suffered property damage and economic loss from the severe storms in late April.
“The Disaster Loan Assistance Center is just one part of our long-term recovery efforts to ensure all Nebraskans affected by these severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes have access to disaster loan resources,” said Mariel Alipio of the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience.
Shortly after the storm hit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened two disaster recovery centers and the SBA opened a business recovery center in Nebraska, Alipio said.
On Monday, the Blair Disaster Recovery Center was converted into an SBA Disaster Loan Assistance Center.
Alipio said the outreach center will allow the administration to meet face-to-face with storm victims as they work through the application process as the deadline for loan applications approaches.
“We simply want to continue to have face-to-face contact with customer service representatives to answer any questions regarding the SBA’s Disaster Loan Servicing Program,” Alipio said.
The SBA offers three types of disaster loans, all of which do not accrue interest for the first 12 months and have interest rates that are well below market.
Douglas and Washington County residents can access Business Physical Disaster Loans and Home Disaster Loans to replace damaged property.
Business Physical Disaster Loans are available to businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations, including churches and private universities.
Residents of Nebraska’s Burt, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Sanders and Washington counties may be eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help small businesses affected by April’s storms meet their financial obligations.
The SBA will also provide an additional 20% of approved loan amounts for disaster mitigation services, such as upgrading building materials to protect against hail or adding sump pumps to move accumulated water.
The deadline to apply for a physical damage loan is July 15, and the deadline to apply for an economic damage loan is February 3, 2025.
