NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas — FEMA has partnered with the U.S Small Business Administration to provide low-interest disaster loans in East Texas.
Residents and businesses in Nacogdoches impacted by Hurricane Beryl can apply for funds to help cover disaster losses not covered by insurance or other programs, according to FEMA. There are 22 counties in Texas that have been approved for SBA loans, the others being:
Austin, Bowie, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Walker, Waller and Wharton.
According to FEMA, interest for SBA loans will not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months after the date of the first disbursement.
Homeowners may be eligible for up to $500,000 in disaster loans for repairs or rebuilding of their primary residence. An additional $100,000 may be available to replace personal property, including cars damaged or destroyed during Beryl. To apply, business owners and residents can do the following:
- Go online to disasterassistance.gov
- Download the FEMA App for mobile devices
- Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
- Call the SBA Customer Service center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
- Visit any Disaster Recovery Center.
The deadline to apply for assistance to replace or repair property damage is Oct. 10, 2024. The deadline to apply for economic injury is April 14, 2025.