LAKE CITY, FL.-

 

 

 

Time is running out for victims of Tropical Storm Debby to apply for help.
 The FEMA deadline is three weeks away.
 If you have already received grants from FEMA, but still need more assistance; you do have other options.
  

 

 

The Small Business Administration has approved almost $12 million in loans for Florida and preparing to approve some more.

 

"I don't know if he has applied for any help," said Puddy Espenship.

 

Espenship said some of the homes his father rents out were destroyed when Tropical Storm Debby passed through Lake City over a month ago.

 

 

"They got flooded into and we are just here right now repairing one and waiting for the insurance or whatever on this one here," said Espenship.

 

 

 

 

The water is gone, but repairs must be done. His father can't get a grant from FEMA because he rented the homes, but there is other assistance.
 

 

 

 

"For many people they need bigger sums of money to help them fully recover from the disaster. We could provide larger sums of money that could help a person build back their home or their business and get back on their feet," said Richard Daigle who is a public affairs specialist for SBA.

 

 

Daigle said the SBA provides low interest disaster loans. You can get a business loan for as much as $2 million. Homeowners can get up to a $200,000 loan and renters can borrow up to $40,000.

 

 

"Our home loans the interest rates can be as low as under two percent. So it's really a loan that's design to help a person to get that money that they need to build back," said Daigle.

 

 

Depending on your case, they may give you as many as 30 years to pay back the loan.

 

 

"What we don't want to have happen is have that deadline go by and then the person say I got to get that money from somewhere because my insurance and grant money wasn't enough and I need additional money so where do I go," said Daigle.

 

Espenship said he is going to make sure his father knows his options.

 

 

"I'll ask him if he's applied. If he has applied maybe SBA can help a little," said Espenship.

 

 

So their family business can get back on its feet.

 

 

 

Here is how and where you can apply for disaster assistance through SBA.

 

 

 

You can visit your local disaster recovery center or click the link below.

You must apply by September 4, 2012.