ATLANTA - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that federal Economic Injury
Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in
aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations in Cocke, Greene and Unicoi counties in Tennessee as a
result of the drought that began on March 1, 2016.
“These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in North Carolina.
The Small Business Administration recognizes that disasters do not usually stop at county or state lines. For
that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included,” said Frank Skaggs,
director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible
farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. With
the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA can not provide disaster loans to agricultural producers,
farmers, or ranchers. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by
drought conditions.
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.625 percent for private nonprofit
organizations and 4 percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility
based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are
set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be
used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster
not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) 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
disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at
www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration,
Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than May 22, 2017.
