The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the relocation of its Batesville Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC). Starting Monday, June 9, the center will move from the Independence County Office of Emergency Management – EOC Building to the Independence County Courthouse.
The SBA established the DLOC to assist businesses in Batesville affected by severe storms and tornadoes on March 14-15. 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 emphasized that SBA specialists are available at these centers to help business owners and residents apply for disaster loans and learn about recovery programs.
While walk-ins are accepted, appointments can be scheduled in advance through appointment.sba.gov. The Independence County Office of Emergency Management – EOC Building closed on Saturday, June 7. The new location at the Independence County Courthouse will open with operating hours from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Other DLOC locations continue to serve survivors in Sharp County at City Hall in Cave City and Hardy Fire Station. These centers operate Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Businesses and nonprofits may apply for business physical disaster loans up to $2 million for repairing or replacing damaged real estate and other assets. Homeowners can apply for home loans up to $500,000 for primary residences or $100,000 for personal property like clothing or furniture.
Loan applicants may qualify for an increase up to 20% of verified physical damages for mitigation improvements such as insulating pipes or installing storm windows.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available for small businesses impacted financially by these disasters. Loans cover working capital needs even if no physical damage occurred.
Interest rates start as low as 4% for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Payments begin one year after loan disbursement based on financial conditions determined by the SBA.
Applications can be submitted online at sba.gov/disaster or by contacting SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. The deadline for physical damage applications is July 14, 2025; economic injury applications are due by February 9, 2026.