1. When there is a Presidential Disaster Declaration, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is a FEMA Disaster Resource Partner and we offer low interest disaster loans to individual homeowners and renters in addition to businesses, non-profits & agricultural organizations. We know, this is confusing!

2. SBA offers long term recovery resources as follow, specifically:

1. 1. In this Indiana Presidential Declaration there are 12 primary counties which have physical (visible) damages.  These counties are entitled to ALL the SBA/FEMA disaster recovery resource available.

1. 2. The SBA goes further to assist businesses which FEMA does not. To every single county bordering each of the 12 primary counties – that would be 26 more [totaling 48]– ONLY, the BUSINESSES in those extra 26 counties [such as Hamilton] have the opportunity to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan [EIDL] if they determine they suffered such a loss due to the Indiana Tornado of March 31-April 1 prior to the deadline of January 14, 2024.  Often it takes time for this type of “damage” to develop or be determined by a business which is the nature of “loss of profits”.

Even if your county is not one of the 12, entitled to “ALL the SBA/FEMA disaster recovery resource”, the SBA hopes that this information can be shared in its entirety to explain the full circle of Federal Disaster Recovery Resources and how the programs interact as a way to “Prepare/Know Your Available Tools/Resources” in the event of a future event.

The SBA is available locally for speaking events, interviews, webinars and to answer any questions or provide paper materials to assist the community recover, mitigate and prepare for natural or man-made disasters.