The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $1 million in low-interest disaster loans for businesses and residents in Georgia affected by Hurricane Matthewthat occurred on Oct. 4-15,2016.

“Currently, SBA has approved $1,004,900 in disaster loans for affected survivors,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.  “We are pleased to get these loans approved so residents in the disaster area can start to rebuild and resume their normal lives. I encourage anyone who has not submitted an SBA disaster loan application to do so as quickly as possible.”

The disaster declaration covers the counties of Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Wayne in Georgia, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.  Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Appling, Brantley, Camden, Candler, Emanuel, Jenkins, Pierce, Screven and Tattnall in Georgia; and Hampton and Jasper in South Carolina.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register online at www.sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs or by downloading the FEMA mobile app.  If online or mobile access is unavailable, applicants should call the FEMA toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY). 

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to [email protected] (link sends e-mail).  Loan applications can be downloaded from www.sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs.  Completed applications can be returned to a recovery center or 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 Dec. 16, 2016.  The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 17, 2017.