Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved his request for a disaster declaration for Northeast Texas communities impacted by severe weather earlier this month. This declaration covers the counties of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus, and Upshur.

In his statement, Governor Abbott emphasized, "The State of Texas continues to work to provide Northeast Texans with the necessary resources to recover from recent tornadoes and severe weather." He highlighted that with the SBA's approval, impacted residents will be eligible for low-interest loans to rebuild their homes and businesses. Abbott expressed gratitude to the Texas Division of Emergency Management for collaborating with federal partners to provide necessary resources and assistance.

The SBA's approval opens access to a range of financial aid. This includes Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, offering low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, and businesses affected by these storms.

For those interested in applying, applications can be made online at sba.gov/disaster. The SBA also provides a Customer Service Center, accessible at (800) 659-2955, and additional communication options for individuals with hearing or speech disabilities.

To support the application process, an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be established to assist applicants. It will open tomorrow at the Morris County Collaborative in Daingerfield, TX, operating weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Governor Abbott continues to pursue measures to support affected communities. These include requesting a disaster declaration, conducting preliminary damage assessments, and activating emergency response resources in the face of severe weather and flash flood threats.