Northern Arizona small businesses now eligible for disaster assistance

Disaster Loans Made Available to Small Businesses Effected by Fall Flooding

Five Arizona Counties, Havasupai Tribe Included in SBA Disaster Declaration

PHOENIX–The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) today announced that qualifying small businesses jarred by severe flooding in five Northern Arizona counties are eligible to receive disaster assistance in the manner of low-interest loans.

SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills issued a disaster declaration for Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo and Yavapai counties in response to Gov. Jan Brewer’s request for SBA assistance. Kane and San Juan counties in neighboring Utah were included in the declaration.

The SBA disaster declaration encompasses the Sovereign Tribal Nation of the Havasupai Tribe, the first tribal nation to qualify for a federal Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance as a sovereign government. A flash flood in October 2010 forced the evacuation of 143 tourists and damaged infrastructure, including bridges and trails, critical to tourism and the provisioning of Supai Village, a remote community nestled within Havasu Canyon.

“SBA is great disaster recovery tool available to communities and, in particular, small-businesses reeling from an emergency,” said Arizona Division of Emergency Management Director Lou Trammell. “Eligible small businesses can use an SBA loan to stay financially afloat after an event.”

Eligible businesses, agricultural cooperatives and nonprofit organizations can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to cover costs, underwrite payroll and pay unsettled bills made difficult to reimburse by a disaster. SBA states that EIDLs “are restricted to small businesses without the financial stability to offset the adverse impact without hardship.”

According to SBA, customer service representatives will meet with Havasupai Tribe business owners to review the EIDL application process, answer questions and assist in completing the necessary forms.

An Electronic Loan Application can be completed online on SBA’s secure website, https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. The deadline for economic injury applications is Nov. 7, 2011.

Disaster loan information and applications are available from the SBA Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing SBA at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov and visiting www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Individuals that are hearing impaired may call 800-877-8339 for assistance.

Visit the Arizona Emergency Information Network website, www.AzEIN.gov, for real-time incident updates, preparedness and hazard information, and multimedia resources.