Disaster loans approved for victims of Tropical Storm Gordon
The U.S. Small Business Administration will award low-interest loans to qualifying victims of flooding last month in the region caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon.
The money follows Gov. Tom Wolf’s request to the SBA to declare a disaster in Westmoreland County following significant flood damages Sept. 9 to homes and businesses, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.
“Historic storms have damaged property and disrupted lives across the commonwealth,” Wolf stated in a news release. “Low-interest loans are an important first step toward helping those affected by the storms to move on.”
The disaster declaration also makes homeowners, renters and businesses eligible for the loans in Washington, Fayette, Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana and Somerset counties.
Gordon left behind 3.73 inches of rain that Sunday, the second-highest rainfall amount on record. The storm dropped 5.5 inches of rain over 72 hours, washing out roads and closing schools. Hurricane Ivan holds the single-day record rainfall amount of 5.95 inches Sept. 17, 2004.
Bethlehem-Center School District shut down for two days to clean up water that seeped into its elementary school and the storm saturated the middle school roof to a point where it needed to be evaluated by a structural engineer.
Low-interest loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, Wolf’s office said. Regulations permit loans of 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.
The SBA will establish a loan outreach center at 11 a.m. Friday at West Newton Public Library, 124 N. Water St. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Saturday until it closes at 4 p.m. Oct. 19.
SBA customer service representatives will be there to provide loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and help people complete applications, the governor’s office said.
For those who are unable to visit the center, information and loan applications can be obtained by calling 1-800-659-2955 or e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. The hearing impaired should call 1-800-877-8339.
Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov/disaster.
The deadline to file applications for physical property damage is Dec. 10. The deadline to return economic injury disaster loan applications is July 9, 2019.