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A Daily News Service of the North Carolina Coastal Federation

SBA Approves Disaster Declaration Request

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The U.S. Small Business Administration Wednesday granted Gov. Roy Cooper’s request for a disaster declaration for counties that suffered damage from Hurricane Dorian, making additional assistance available to residents there.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, second from left, when he visited Ocracoke Sept. 7 right after Dorian. With him at the Ocracoke air strip are Tom Pahl, left, Rep. Tim Moore, speaker of the N.C. House, and Hyde County Sheriff Guire Cahoon. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer

“The Small Business Administration’s approval of North Carolina’s disaster request is an important step to getting more resources to the people impacted by Hurricane Dorian,” Cooper said in a statement.

The SBA granted a disaster declaration for Carteret, Dare, Hyde and New Hanover and the contiguous counties of Beaufort, Brunswick, Craven, Currituck, Jones, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Tyrrell and Washington, allowing affected residents to apply for low-interest SBA disaster loans.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.

Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or 1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Following this approval, the governor intends to sign a state disaster declaration, his office said. The action allows for state-funded grants to people who don’t meet the qualifications for an SBA loan. A state disaster declaration is anticipated later this week, Cooper’s office said.

The SBA disaster request and state disaster declaration follow the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial Oct. 8 of North Carolina’s request for Individual Assistance.

About Staff Report

The story was compiled by staff members of Coastal Review.

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