UPDATE on Jan 10, 2025 @ 2:32 pm:
HARDIN, Mont. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has extended the deadline for applying for low-interest physical disaster loans. This extension follows the severe storms and straight-line winds that hit the area on August 6, 2024. Businesses and residents now have until February 28, 2025, to apply for assistance.
The Disaster Recovery Center is located at the Black Lodge Community Center, 6772 River Crow Road, Hardin, Montana 59034. It operates from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and is closed on Sundays and holidays. For any questions, individuals can call 406-679-0022.
Representatives from the SBA are available at the center to provide information on low-interest disaster loans. These loans aim to help individuals and businesses recover from storm damage. While accepting a loan is not mandatory, it can significantly aid in recovery efforts.
The disaster declaration covers the Crow Tribe of Montana and the contiguous counties in Montana and Wyoming. The counties in Montana include Big Horn, Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Powder River, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, and Yellowstone. In Wyoming, the affected counties are Big Horn and Sheridan.
The SBA offers several types of disaster loans, including Business Physical Disaster Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Home Disaster Loans. These loans can assist with repairing or replacing disaster-damaged property and meeting financial obligations.
Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to the SBA and demonstrate the ability to repay the loans. Interest rates vary depending on whether applicants have credit available elsewhere, with rates fixed for the term of the loan. Loan terms can extend up to 30 years, depending on the borrower’s ability to repay.
Applications for disaster loans can be submitted online through the MySBA Loan Portal at lending.sba.gov. For further assistance, individuals can contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email or phone.
For additional details about relief and qualifications, the press release from the U.S. Small Business Administration can be downloaded/read below:
Original coverage from Dec 11, 2024 @ 2:35 pm:
CROW AGENCY – FEMA is set to open a Disaster Recovery Center near Crow Agency to assist Crow Tribe members in applying for disaster assistance following a severe storm earlier this year.
The storm, which included straight-line winds, impacted the area on August 6, 2024. Members of the Crow Tribe affected by this event are eligible to apply for assistance.
The center will open Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
The Disaster Recovery Center is located at the Black Lodge Community Center, 6772 River Crow Road, Hardin, Montana. It will operate from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and will be closed on Sundays and holidays.
Recovery specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be present to explain disaster assistance programs. They will also help people complete applications for federal assistance and provide information on additional resources.
On November 14, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the Crow Tribe of Montana. This declaration is intended to aid the Tribal Nation in recovering from the storm and winds that occurred on August 6, 2024.
The declaration provides assistance through FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program, which can help with unmet needs and damages caused by the storm. Additionally, the SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to support individual households and businesses of all sizes in their recovery efforts.
