SBA Disaster Relief Still Available to West Virginia Private Nonprofits Affected by Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofits (PNP) in West Virginia of the Dec. 19 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding occurring Feb. 15-18, 2025.

Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature with financial losses directly related to the disaster. Example of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help private nonprofits and business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.625% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. 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. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec 19, 2025. However, after the deadline has passed, there is a 60-day grace period in which SBA will accept applications.