Disaster Assistance Approved for Delaware County Flood Victims

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency announced today that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved Governor Edward G. Rendell’s request for disaster assistance to help people recover from damage caused by severe storms and flooding in Delaware County on Sept. 30. 

The disaster declaration also makes assistance available to flooding victims in Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.  

Low-interest loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. SBA regulations permit loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property. Businesses and nonprofits can borrow up to $2 million to restore damaged or destroyed buildings, inventory, equipment and assets. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial qualifications.

The SBA will establish a disaster loan outreach center at the Chester Community Center at City Hall, 1 Fourth St., Chester, PA 19013. The outreach center will be open Tuesday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. It will be open Monday, Dec. 6 and Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 11:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. 

SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the disaster loan outreach center to issue loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals to complete their applications.

Individuals and businesses unable to visit the center in person may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.  

Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be returned to the center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. 

Victims may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Default.aspx.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Jan. 14, 2011. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Aug. 15, 2011.  

Media contact: Ruth A. Miller, 717-651-2009