CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) - On Wednesday, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs)are available in Georgia for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations with economic losses from excessive rain and Tropical Storm Debby that occurred Aug. 5-6.
The declaration includes the following primary counties:
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, Montogomery, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Wayne and Wheeler; and the adjacent counties of Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Colquitt, Dodge, Glynn, Grady, Jefferson, Johnson, Laurens, McIntosh, Mitchell, Richmond, Tift, Turner, and Wilcox in Georgia; Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, Jefferson, Leon, Madison and Nassau in Florida; and Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Hampton and Jasper in South Carolina.
“When farmers face crop losses and a disaster is declared by the Secretary of Agriculture, SBA working capital loans become a lifeline for eligible small businesses,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “These loans are the backbone that helps rural communities bounce back and thrive after a disaster strikes.”
Under this declaration, the SBA’s EIDL program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Apart from aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, and ranchers.