Governor Abbott Announces SBA Assistance For East Texas Storms
Governor Greg Abbott today announced the request and approval by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a disaster declaration for East Texas communities affected by severe storms and flooding that began on May 10. Nacogdoches County and neighboring Angelina, Cherokee, Rusk, San Augustine, Shelby counties are included in the disaster declaration.
"This disaster declaration is an important step to provide additional support needed for Texans affected by last month's flooding in East Texas,” said Governor Abbott. "I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with the U.S. Small Business Administration to determine that disaster declaration eligibility requirements were met for Nacogdoches County and its surrounding counties. The State of Texas continues working with state, local, and federal partners as we ensure homeowners and businesses affected by these severe storms receive the assistance they need to recover."
In response to Governor Abbott's request on Monday, SBA's Physical Disaster Loan program for homes and businesses, as well as its Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, will now be available to Texas communities impacted by these storms.
Local, state, and federal officials conducted an analysis of damage sustained in impacted communities, which verified that Nacogdoches County met the federally required thresholds for SBA assistance. Officials also reviewed disaster damage information self-reported by Texans through Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) surveys.
On June 8, local, state, and federal partners conducted joint preliminary damage assessments of damage suffered to homes and businesses. The Governor requested this SBA declaration on Monday, June 12.
SBA loan applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information, and download applications at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Completed loan applications may also be submitted to SBA’s Processing and Disbursement Center, located at 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.