U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Karen G. Mills issued the following statement after the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration for several counties in Georgia that were affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, high winds and flooding that occurred from April 27 - 28, 2011.

“The U.S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the people of Georgia with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and businesses with federal disaster loans. Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

The disaster declaration covers the Georgia counties of Bartow, Catoosa, Coweta, Dade, Floyd, Greene, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Spalding, Troup and Walker, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, Dawson, Fayette, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Jones, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pike, Putnam, Talbot, Taliaferro, Towns, Upson, Walton and Whitfield in Georgia; contiguous counties of Chambers, Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb, Jackson and Randolph in Alabama; contiguous counties of Clay, Jackson and Macon in North Carolina; contiguous Oconee County in South Carolina; and contiguous counties of Hamilton and Marion in Tennessee.

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

Businesses and private non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2million to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. The SBA may increase a loan up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements, as verified by SBA, to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

For small businesses and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.688 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.