SEMA News Release

Today, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has now made available low-interest federal disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses, and private nonprofits in Crawford and Reynolds counties impacted by the historic flash flooding and severe storms in south central and southeast Missouri July 9-11. 

Enabled by the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act, this October 8 SBA rural disaster declaration allows the SBA to provide low-interest disaster loans in rural areas with as little as one damaged property after a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance has been approved by the President for the same incident period. 

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.875% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments do not begin until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. 

This SBA declaration also makes SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster.

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (866) SBA-HELP or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The deadline to return physical damage applications is December 1, 2026. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 6, 2027.

On August 31, a rural SBA disaster declaration made loans available in Randolph and Saline counties for impacts from April 23-28. Only three home and two business applications have been submitted, with no disbursements yet. On July 15, a traditional SBA Agency disaster declaration had made loans available in Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Lawrence, Polk, and Webster counties, also for impacts from April 23-28. To date, 72 homeowners and five business owners have been approved for loans, with approvals reaching almost $3 million and disbursements totaling over $933,000. The deadline grace period for that SBA declaration is still in effect.

For more information, call 573-751-6294 or e-mail caty.luebbert@sema.dps.mo.gov