Decatur, Hardin counties eligible for disaster loans after February flooding

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that the U.S. Small Business Administration will make the disaster loan program available for five Tennessee counties still recovering from flooding during February. Decatur and Hardin counties are eligible for those loans.

“We are committed to pursuing every assistance option available to help Tennesseans put their lives and businesses back together from the floods earlier this year,” Gov. Lee said.

The Small Business Administration declaration covers Decatur and Hardin counties, as well as Humphreys, Perry and Sevier counties. Counties that border the affected areas will also be able to receive a loan. Those counties include Benton, Carroll, Chester, Henderson, McNairy and Wayne counties.

Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners in those areas to repair or replace damaged property, and homeowners or renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to meet working capital needs caused by flooding.

Disaster Loan Outreach Centers will be open from Tuesday, June 25 through Tuesday, July 2 in the following locations in West Tennessee:

Decatur County
Decatur County Library
20 W. Market St.
Decaturville, TN  38329
Opening at 11 a.m. on June 25
Hours: Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hardin County
Hardin County Fire Dept.
90 Walnut St.
Savannah, TN 38372
Opening at 11 a.m. on June 25
Hours: Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Perry County
Tennessee Career Center
113 Factory St.
Lindon, TN 37096
Opening at 11 a.m. on June 25
Hours: Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, email the SBA at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or call their customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of- hearing). To apply online, visit the SBA’s website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.

Completed applications should be returned to the Disaster Loan Outreach Centers or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Aug. 20, 2019. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 23, 2020.