Burlington County residents, businesses now eligible for July 12 storm aid

Burlington County has been added to the federal disaster declaration that followed the damaging storm and flash floods of July 12, county officials announced Saturday. The extended declaration means residents and businesses can now apply for disaster loans from the Small Business Administration.

The storm drenched parts of Burlington County, with more than six inches of rain falling in just four hours. Because the original disaster declaration included only Pennsylvania counties, Burlington County residents were excluded from federal assistance.

State Sen. Troy Singleton and County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson worked with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to get the declaration amended.

“The major flooding this area faced a few weeks ago had a devastating impact on many of our residents and businesses that are still struggling to bounce back from the pandemic,” Hopson said in a statement. “This should not be another setback for them, so we made it our mission to assure that our residents and businesses who sustained damage or loss during the storm were able to benefit from these special loans.”

County residents and businesses with property damage can apply for three types of low-interest loans: Business Physical Disaster Loans; Economic Injury Disaster Loans; and Home Disaster Loans.

Homeowner and renter loans are limited to $200,000, while business loans are limited to $2 million. Loan terms are up to 30 years, with income levels and credit scores being “determining factors.”

Interested Burlington County residents and business owners can apply here.