The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the availability of federal disaster loans for Missouri businesses, private nonprofits, and residents affected by severe weather on June 29. The announcement follows a disaster declaration issued after a request from Governor Mike Kehoe.
The declaration applies to Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Lawrence, Polk, and Webster counties in Missouri. Eligible businesses and nonprofits can apply for business physical disaster loans of up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged real estate, equipment, inventory, and other assets. Homeowners may borrow up to $500,000 for repairs or replacement of their primary residence. Both homeowners and renters can also apply for up to $100,000 to replace personal property such as furniture or vehicles.
Loan applicants may be considered for an increase of up to 20% above the verified physical damage amount for mitigation improvements like insulating pipes and installing storm windows. The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is also available for working capital needs caused by the disaster. These EIDLs are accessible even if the applicant did not experience physical damage but suffered economic losses due to the event. However, agricultural producers are generally not eligible except those involved in aquaculture.
Interest rates are set at 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters with repayment terms up to 30 years. Payments do not begin until one year after the first loan disbursement.
Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA said: “When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers play a vital role in helping small businesses and their communities recover. At these centers, SBA specialists assist business owners and residents with disaster loan applications and provide information on the full range of recovery programs available.”
Beginning July 30, customer service representatives will be available at the Greene County Public Safety Center in Springfield to answer questions about disaster loans and help applicants complete their paperwork. Walk-ins are accepted; appointments can be scheduled at appointment.sba.gov.
Applications can also be submitted online at sba.gov/disaster or by calling (800) 659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for further assistance.
The deadline to submit applications for physical damage is September 26, 2025; economic injury applications must be filed by April 28, 2026.
The SBA supports small businesses through resources delivered via field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations nationwide. More details are available at https://www.sba.gov/.