The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of two Business Recovery Centers (BRC) that went into operation on Monday, August 15 in Elkhorn and Virgie, Kentucky.

Set up as an emergency to provide one-on-one disaster loan application assistance to Kentucky businesses affected by the severe storms, flooding, and mudslides that began July 26, these BRCs cover the following counties:

• Kentucky

Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, McCreary, Martin, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Whitley, and Wolfe.

• Tennessee

Campbell and Claiborne.

• Virginia

Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise.

• Virginia Occidental

Mingo and Wayne.

Most businesses and private nonprofit organizations located in these counties are eligible for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs). To assist them more effectively, the BRCs will operate with special hours (click here to see them).

Types of Loans

Businesses of any size can borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, elevation, retaining walls, and landscaping to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.

Disaster loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible to receive up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property damaged or destroyed by the disaster.

Additionally, for small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses, and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet emergency working capital needs. Assistance from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan is available regardless of whether the business sustained any physical damage to the property.

Contact Information 

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants must register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA mobile app. If online or mobile access is not available, applicants should call FEMA's toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Those using 711-Relay or Video Relay services should call 800-621-3362.

Applicants can apply online using the Electronic Loan Option (ELA) through the SBA's secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/, and must apply under the declaration of SBA#17546.

Disaster loan information and application forms can also be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, dial 7-1-1 to access to telecommunications relay services), or by emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA website at sba.gov/disaster. Complete applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The physical loan application deadline is Sept. 28, 2022. The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 1, 2023.

Health Protocols

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA has established protocols to help protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of customer service representatives, and asks all visitors to BRC to wear a face mask.