The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the opening of a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in Saline County to aid small businesses, private nonprofit organizations, and residents affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding from April 2 to April 22.
Starting Monday, June 2, SBA customer service representatives will be available at the Benton center to assist with disaster loan applications. No appointments are required for walk-ins, but scheduling is available at appointment.sba.gov.
The Benton center will operate at the Saline County Career and Technical Campus, Conference Room B202, located at 13600 I-30 North. The hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closing on Friday, June 20.
Additional DLOCs continue operations in Sharp County. In Cave City, the center is located at City Hall's conference room with access from the back of the building. It operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Another location is at Hardy Fire Station operating during similar hours.
Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA stated, "When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers perform an important role by assisting small businesses and their communities." He added that SBA specialists help applicants learn about available programs for recovery.
Eligible businesses and nonprofits can apply for business physical disaster loans up to $2 million for repairs or replacements of real estate and other assets. Homeowners may apply for loans up to $500,000 for primary residence repairs or up to $100,000 for personal property replacement.
Loan increases up to 20% of verified physical damages may be available for mitigation improvements such as insulating pipes or installing storm windows.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is also accessible for small businesses and nonprofits impacted financially by these disasters. These loans cover working capital needs like fixed debts and payroll even without physical damage.
Interest rates start as low as 4% for small businesses, with varying rates for nonprofits and homeowners over terms up to 30 years. Interest accrual begins one year after disbursement.
Applications can be submitted online at sba.gov/disaster or through SBA’s Customer Service Center via phone or email. The deadline for physical damage applications is July 21, 2025; economic injury applications are due by February 23, 2026.
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