MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) The Small Business Administration has approved funding for victims of the Christmas day storms.
People living in Mobile, Pike and surrounding counties now have the option to take out a low interest loan through the SBA to cover costs accrued since the storm.
The state EMA director said it's unlikely though Mobile County will qualify for assistance through FEMA.
Mayor Sam Jones sent a letter to Governor Robert Bentley and FEMA requesting a federal disaster declaration and financial aid. But Friday, the state emergency director said that's most likely not going to happen.
The EMA office is still collecting data so nothing is set in stone. In order for Mobile to get FEMA assistance for individuals, officials say FEMA needs to find 100 uninsured homes either destroyed or with major damage.
To qualify for public assistance, Mobile needs around $1.5 million worth of uninsured damage. Right now, we're at about $700,000.
The mayor wants to combine damage totals from the December 20 tornado and the Christmas day storm to better the chances. But State EMA Director Art Faulkner said that's just not legally possible.
"The Stafford Act is the federal law that regulates disaster assistance, and unfortunately under the Stafford Act those two separate tornado systems do not qualify to be lumped together when asking for assistance," Faulkner said.
