Be Prepared and Stay Safe During Hurricane Irma

Graphic on Hurricane Preparedness. Credit: National Weather Service Miami/South Florida.

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Hurricane Irma is a potentially catastrophic hurricane and will bring life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall to parts of the Caribbean—including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands—as well as the Florida Keys, portions of Southern Florida and the Florida Peninsula. Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through the September 9—10 weekend.

Take preparation actions now, and be sure you know what to do before, during and after the hurricane: www.ready.gov/hurricanes (en Espanol: www.listo.gov/es/huracanes).

Please heed the advice of local emergency management officials and refer to your local weather forecast at www.weather.gov.

Follow your local forecast office on Twitter for the latest area-specific updates: www.weather.gov/socialmedia

Get live updates from NOAA's National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Download the FEMA App for disaster resources, weather alerts and safety tips.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINSTRATION -- Disaster Loans Use of Proceeds

The SBA has specific guidelines regarding how the proceeds of such loans may be used. Disaster loans are designed to help you and your business whether an event which has caused either or both of the following: physical damage to your business or property, or economic injury (meaning you can't meet your current obligations in regard to your business).

What Can Disaster Loan Proceeds Be Used For?

The SBA offers several different types of disaster loans for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. The SBA can provide up to $2 million in disaster assistance; this includes both economic injury and physical damage assistance. Depending on your loan type, the proceeds may be used for different purposes. Some applicants will qualify for both an economic injury loan and a physical disaster loan.

Physical Disaster Loans

Physical Disaster Loan proceeds may be used for the repair or replacement of the following:

Real property
Machinery
Equipment
Fixtures
Inventory
Leasehold improvements

In addition, disaster loans to repair or replace real property or leasehold improvements may be increased by as much as 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage to real estate and/or leasehold improvements as verified by the SBA to protect the damaged real property against possible future disasters of the same type.

SBA loans will cover uninsured physical damage. If your property was insured but you are required to apply insurance proceeds to an outstanding mortgage on the damaged property, you can include the amount applied in your disaster loan application.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans

An EIDL can help you meet the normal financial obligations that your business or private nonprofit organization could have met had the disaster not occurred. It permits you to maintain a reasonable working capital position during the period affected by the disaster.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Resources for Hurricane Harvey and Irma

The Department of Transportation’s Operating Administrations are actively monitoring Hurricane Harvey and its impacts. The Department has proactively issued emergency declarations to remove restrictions in order to hasten the delivery of emergency equipment and supplies to the region. All of the Department’s Administrations are poised to support the State of Texas with post storm recovery efforts.

For information and resources available from DOT, check out the following websites: