One Month Left to Apply for SBA`s Disaster Loan; Approved Loans Now Total Over $1 Million

ATLANTA--(Business Wire)--
The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds homeowners, renters, businesses
and non-profit organizations of all sizes located in Volusia County, Florida
that they have only one month left to submit disaster loan applications for
physical damage caused by severe storms, flooding, tornadoes and straight-line
winds that occurred from May 17-28, 2009. The deadline to file an application
for physical damage is July 27, 2009.

The SBA disaster declaration also covers the contiguous counties of Brevard,
Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Putnam, and Seminole which are eligible only for
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. More than $1 million in
disaster assistance loans have now been approved for disaster survivors in
Florida.

"Currently, 48 disaster loans have been approved in the amount of $1,102,300 for
residents and businesses impacted by the disaster," said Frank Skaggs, Director
of SBA Field Operations Center East. "We are pleased to be able to get these
loans approved so the disaster survivors can rebuild and resume their normal
lives."

The SBA offers loans up to $200,000 to repair disaster damaged primary
residences. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to
replace personal property such as furniture, appliances and clothing. Loans to
businesses and non-profit organizations of all sizes are available up to $2
million to repair damage to real estate, machinery, inventory and equipment.

The SBA EIDLs are available to small businesses, and most private, non-profit
organizations of all sizes to help meet working capital needs caused by the
disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business
suffered any property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.437 percent for homeowners and renters and 4.000
percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set
by SBA and are based on each applicant`s financial condition.

Additionally, disaster survivors with insurance should not wait for an insurance
settlement before applying to the SBA. If someone does not know how much of
their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, the SBA will consider
making a loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower
agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay their SBA loan.

The SBA also offers mitigation funds based on 20 percent of the verified
physical damage. These funds are designed to help borrowers pay for protective
measures, which may prevent damages of the same kind in the future.

Anyone impacted by the disaster may obtain an application by calling the SBA`s
Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the
hearing-impaired) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. EDT, or by
emailing the Customer Service Center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA Web site at
www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed
to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center,
14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Those affected by the disaster may apply for disaster loans from SBA`s secure
Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July
27, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 1, 2010.

For more information about the SBA`s Disaster Loan Programs, visit our website
at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

Release Number: 09-545, FL 11763/11764

U.S. Small Business Administration
Michael Lampton, 404-331-0333

Copyright Business Wire 2009