Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved his request for a disaster declaration for Northwest Texas communities affected by severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall that began on May 27. Potter County and neighboring Armstrong, Carson, Deaf Smith, Moore, Oldham, and Randall counties are included in the disaster declaration
“This disaster declaration is an important step to help ensure Northwest Texas communities impacted by severe flooding continue to receive the assistance needed to rebuild and recover,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with the U.S. Small Business Administration to determine that eligibility requirements were met for Potter County and surrounding counties. The State of Texas continues to work with our local and federal partners to provide all available support and assistance to homeowners and businesses as they recover from this severe flooding.”
In response to Governor Abbott’s request on Friday, SBA’s Physical Disaster Loan Program for homes and businesses, as well as its Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, will now be available to Texas communities impacted by these storms.
Last week, local, state, and federal partners conducted joint preliminary damage assessments of damage suffered to homes and businesses. Local, state, and federal officials also conducted an analysis of damage sustained in impacted communities, which verified that Potter County meets the federally required thresholds for SBA assistance. Additionally, officials reviewed disaster damage information self-reported by Texans through Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) surveys.
SBA loan applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information, and download applications at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Completed loan applications may also be submitted to SBA’s Processing and Disbursement Center, located at 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.