SBA Loans Available in Minnesota for Nonprofit Organizations Affected by Recent Severe Weather

(KNSI) — The Small Business Administration is making loans available for private, nonprofit organizations in 23 Minnesota counties affected by severe weather this past spring.

Stearns County is among those getting funding as part of a federal disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after tornadoes, flooding, and storms in early May.

County officials say they are getting calls from residents asking for financial help with storm damage to their private properties. The public assistance money from FEMA is not available for personal property, but rather used by government entities to restore a community after a disaster. Dollars are used for the repair or replacement of eligible public or certain nonprofit facilities or infrastructure damaged or destroyed by a disaster. Private residents whose properties were affected need to contact their insurance companies to file a damage or disaster claim.

Click here to understand and learn the differences between individual assistance for private residents and public assistance for nonprofit organizations.

Sunday, May 8th, thunderstorms generated winds over 60 miles per hour that swept through Stearns and Morrison counties, downing trees and power lines. The following day, May 9th, tornados touched down. They ranged from an EF0 twister near Hastings to a cluster of five tornados – one with winds exceeding 110 miles per hour – in central Minnesota, causing extensive damage. On May 12th and 13th, the southern two-thirds of the state experienced violent and dangerous storms, and at least six tornadoes were confirmed in west-central Minnesota.

The damage is estimated to be nearly $11 million.

The governor also requested assistance for two other weather-related events in recent weeks, including a disaster declaration request for federal aid for ongoing flooding in Northwestern Minnesota and an extension for the timeline to request support for a Memorial Day tornado outbreak that caused significant damage in more than 20 counties to complete damage assessments.

Online applications can be found by clicking here.

To request a paper form, click here.

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