SBA outlines disaster‑loan deadlines and outreach after December storms; applications for physical damage said due June 10

Tana Morehead, Public Affairs Specialist in the Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, briefed commissioners on SBA disaster relief available to homeowners, renters, small businesses and nonprofits following widespread December storm damage.

"SBA is the largest source of funds available to disaster survivors," Morehead said, summarizing the loan programs: disaster loans for repair or replacement of real estate and equipment (business and nonprofit loan limits up to $2,000,000), homeowner loans up to $500,000 and renter assistance up to $100,000. She said interest rates for this declaration are as low as 4 percent for business loans and as low as 2.8 percent for homeowners and renters. Morehead noted mitigation funding of up to 20 percent in addition to an approved loan for projects such as storm windows or sump pumps.

Morehead said the physical‑damage application deadline was June 10 (the date given in the presentation), and that economic‑injury applications generally allow a longer filing window. She emphasized that applicants do not have to wait for insurance settlements to apply and that the SBA does not duplicate other federal or state grant funds.

To reach rural communities, Morehead described a mobile recovery vehicle pilot—SBA staff post at libraries or community centers to assist residents and businesses. She reported that Washington approvals to date totaled 136 loans worth about $12.3 million (approximately $5.8 million to homeowners and $6.4 million to businesses), and encouraged commissioners to help amplify outreach and identify churches and community centers that could host recovery events.

Next steps: SBA asked commissioners to share contacts for outreach and offered to coordinate with county emergency managers and the county's community hub networks to place mobile recovery vehicles and host loan-help centers before the application deadline.