EIDL Loans Available to Small Businesses in 6 States Due to Drought

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced another round of Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is available to small businesses in six states affected by drought. Economic disaster recovery loans are available to small businesses in South Dakota, Texas, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas, and Idaho.

Drought Related EIDL Loans to Small Businesses

Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and small businesses engaged in aquaculture may qualify for EIDL loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

Through the EIDL the SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters. The scheme is designed to help businesses located in declared disaster areas such as droughts, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires. The SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster, which the Secretary declared this drought on June 13, 2022.

EIDL loans can be used to cover losses not covered by insurance or funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for both personal and business. This includes business operating expenses that could have been met if the disaster didn’t take place.

“The SBA is strongly committed to working around the clock, providing dedicated emergency assistance to the small businesses and non-profits that are facing economic disruption due to the COVID-19 impact.  With the reopening of the EIDL assistance and EIDL Advance application portal to all new applicants, additional small businesses and non-profits will be able to receive these long-term, low-interest loans and emergency grants – reducing the economic impacts on their businesses, employees and communities they support,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.

Which Counties are Eligible?

EIDL Eligible counties include:

• South Dakota and environs: Clay, Hughes, Jones, Mellette, Potter, Sully, Turner, Union, Yankton, Bennett, Bon Homme, Dewey, Edmunds, Faulk, Haakon, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyman, McCook, Minnehaha, Stanley, Todd, Tripp, Walworth, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury; Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, and Knox.
• Texas and environs: Caldwell, Bastrop, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, and Travis.
• Nevada and environs: Carson City, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe
• Nebraska and environs: Adams, Clay, Deuel, Keith, Arthur, Buffalo, Cheyenne, Fillmore, Garden, Hall, Hamilton, Kearney, Lincoln, McPherson, Nuckolls, Perkins, Webster, York, and Sedgwick.
• Kansas and environs: Logan, Gove, Scott, Sherman, Thomas, Wallace, and Wichita.
• Idaho and environs: Boise, Bonneville, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Power, Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Camas, Caribou, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Madison, Minidoka, Oneida, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley, Lincoln, and Teton.

How to Apply

SBA loans are small-business loans partially guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and issued by participating lenders, usually banks. The SBA provides low-interest, long-term loans for physical and economic damage caused by a declared disaster.

There are three steps to apply for EIDL loans: check whether the SBA has issued a disaster declaration in their area; apply for a disaster loan; and check if you have been awarded the loans by login into your account and checking your email for updates.

Affected businesses can apply online, and receive additional disaster assistance information. Businesses can also download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Feb. 13, 2023.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, "EIDL Loans Available to Small Businesses in 6 States Due to Drought" was first published on Small Business Trends