Disaster Loans Available to Florida Businesses Affected by Tornadoes

The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting applications for low-interest disaster loans for Florida Panhandle businesses and residents affected by tornadoes and storms in February.

The loans are available for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida and Baldwin and Escambia counties in Alabama.

Wilfredo Gonzalez, the agency’s North Florida District director, tells the Pensacola News-Journal that loans up to $2 million will be available for businesses and private nonprofit organizations to repair or replace real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other assets.

Frank Skaggs, the agency’s director of Field Operations Center East in Atlanta, said loans up to $200,000 will be available to homeowners to repair or replace real estate. Homeowners and renters will be eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property.