Small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in this region of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have until Monday, March 16 to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by flooding, excessive rain and flash flooding that occurred May 13-14, 2025.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the loan program.
The disaster declaration covers the Maryland counties of Allegany, Garrett and Washington, Pennsylvania counties of Bedford, Fulton and Somerset as well as West Virginia counties of Hampshire, Mineral and Morgan.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to this disaster.
The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
Economic Injury Disaster Loana are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA.
Applications start online at the SBA Loan Portal found at https://lending.sba.gov/search-disaster/
