SBA Physical Disaster Loan Deadline is July 20 in Georgia For April thunderstorms, excessive rainfall and tornadoes
News, Press Release June 25, 2020
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) encourages businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters to apply for a disaster loan before the July 20 deadline. Anyone in the declared counties in Georgia with damages caused by thunderstorms, excessive rainfall and tornadoes on April 12 – 13, 2020 should apply for the disaster loan program.
The declaration covers Murray County and the adjacent counties of Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon and Whitfield in Georgia; and Bradley and Polk in Tennessee.
In accordance with health precautions for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the SBA will not establish a field presence to assist survivors. However, SBA will continue to provide first class customer service and conduct outreach virtually with webinars, skype calls, phone assistance and step-by-step application assistance. As a result, SBA has opened a Virtual Disaster Loan Outreach Center/Business Recovery Center (VDLOC/VBRC) to help survivors apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ and there are virtual customer support representatives available to assist applicants with completing the online application. The VDLOC/VBRC information:
Virtual Disaster Loan Outreach Center (VDLOC)
Open: Monday – Friday
Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed: Saturdays and Sundays
Phone for Businesses: 571.422.6078
Phone for Individuals: 470.363.5611 or 404.895.8439
These services are only available for the Georgia disaster declaration as a result of the April thunderstorms, excessive rainfall and tornadoes and not for COVID-19 related assistance.
Survivors should contact the Disaster Assistance Professionals at 571.422.6078, 470.363.5611 or 404.895.8439 to schedule an appointment for immediate one-on-one assistance in completing their applications. Requests for SBA disaster loan program information may be obtained by emailing
[email protected]. The SBA will conduct extensive outreach to ensure that all impacted by the disaster are afforded the opportunity to seek assistance.
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. 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 up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed personal property.
Interest rates are as low as 3.75 percent for businesses, 2.75 percent for private nonprofit organizations, and 1.563 percent for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA customizes loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s circumstances.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase up to 20 percent 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, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/.
Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing [email protected]. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 20, 2020. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 22, 2021.
Seven dead, 23 injured after two tornadoes hit Murray County
Business, Community April 13, 2020Seven people are dead and 23 hospitalized as a result of at least one, possibly two tornadoes ripping through Murray County last night.
The yellow circles show where one of the tornadoes that tore through Murray County Sunday night did the most damage. Dewayne Bain, Director of Emergency Management for the county said the tornado, one of two, went approximately six miles, killing seven and hospitalizing 23.
According to Dewayne Bain, Director of Emergency Management, those numbers could change. The names of those killed have not been released, but Bain said three lived in one trailer and the others were in different trailers. All those killed were in the trailer park on Ridgeview Road. To see Bain’s press conference, go to our Youtube channel.
Governor Brian Kemp arrived at Bagley Middle School late Monday morning to survey damage. He declared another state of emergency for Georgia, this one centered around storm damage.
According to her daughter, Dina Rios, 66, was among those injured when the tornado came through this neighborhood in Murray County Sunday night. Seven people are dead and 23 were hospitalized followed the severe storm
He spoke briefly to Steve Loughridge, Superintendent of Murray County Schools and Greg Hogan, Sole Commissioner of Murray County.
“We lost part of the roof here (at Bagley Middle School),” Loughridge told him. “We had moved people from the apartments across the street to here.”
The roof was ripped off the apartments across from Bagley Middle School and emergency responders relocated about residents to the school.
The area hit the hardest was Hwy. 225 North past Bagley Middle School behind Murray County Fire Station number three. A tornado tore through two neighborhoods, mostly trailer parks and agriculture, leveling everything in it’s path. Another tornado traveled down Ga. Hwy 286.
“It traveled about six to six and half miles,” said Hogan of the Ga. Hwy. 225 twister.
Hogan said he’d seen livestock trapped by debris when he flew over the destruction Monday morning. To see his video footage, click here.
Deer Park Road, which consists of about 30 trailers, was in the path of a tornado Sunday night. It leveled more almost half of the trailers. In total, seven people died.
Michael Weaver was cleaning up debris in one neighborhood, where he owns five trailers. Four were completely gone.
“This one was rented,” he said, picking up the remainder of the concrete foundation. “But they hadn’t moved in yet.”
The move in was supposed to happen Monday, his wife added.
The bare lot beside his, marked only by remaining concrete blocks, was where another trailer had sat. This one was occupied when the tornado came through around 10 p.m.
“He’s okay,” Weaver said of the man who lived there. “He said he saw the top of the funnel when it lifted him up and dumped him on the other side of the of the bushes.”
He gestured to debris-laden bushes about thirty yards away.
“Mother nature throws curve balls every now and then,” he said.
Kemp issues statewide emergency for severe weather damage
Announcements, Press Release April 13, 2020
Atlanta, GA – Today Governor Kemp declared a statewide state of emergency following severe storm damage across Georgia over the last twenty-four hours.
“We are praying for those who lost loved ones overnight and the families dealing with severe storm damage. In coordination with private-sector partners, multiple state agencies – including the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, Department of Public Safety, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, and Georgia Forestry Commission – are working hard to restore power, clear debris, and provide necessary assistance to families across the state,” said Governor Kemp. “This morning, I also spoke with FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor, and I greatly appreciate his offer of federal assistance as we work to rebuild and recover from these storms.”
As of early this morning, 177,000 Georgians were without power. Overnight, there were forty tornado warnings issued across the state.