The U.S. Small Business Administration has granted Governor Roy Cooper’s request for a disaster declaration for areas that suffered damage from Hurricane Dorian, making additional assistance available to residents.
Those who live in fourteen counties in North Carolina will now be eligible to apply for low interest loans from the SBA.
The disaster declaration is primarily for Dare, Hyde, Carteret and New Hanover, which were hardest hit by the storm surge flooding and winds from Dorian.
Also included in the declaration are Beaufort, Brunswick, Craven, Currituck, Jones, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Tyrrell and Washington.
With the SBA disaster declaration approved, that allows the governor to sign a state disaster declaration by the end of the week. State-funded grants can then be made available to people who don’t meet the qualifications for a loan.
“The Small Business Administration’s approval of North Carolina’s disaster request is an important step to getting more resources to the people impacted by Hurricane Dorian,” Cooper said.
The request and declaration follow FEMA’s denial of North Carolina’s request for Individual Assistance last week.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.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 or 1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan application forms can also be downloaded at disasterloan.sba.gov.
