Businesses and residents affected by the severe storms and tornadoes on April 5-6 in Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans and Liberty counties can now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The loans were made available in response to a letter from Gov. Brian Kemp on April 20, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. Businesses and residents in the declared areas can now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s and should apply under SBA declaration #17402. Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or emailing [email protected].

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is June 21, 2022. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 23, 2023.