SBA loans approved for damage from July storms in Allegheny County

Dillon Carr
Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019 12:02 p.m. | Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019 12:02 p.m.

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A shed belonging to a company along Saltsburg Road in Plum near the intersection of Monroeville-Trestle Road was being held by a chain attached to an excavation vehicle the morning of Monday, July 22, 2019.

Debris lay in a pile by the side of the road on Saltsburg Road in Plum the morning of Monday, July 22, 2019.

The baseball fields along New Texas Road in Plum were damaged due to flooding on Monday, July 22, 2019.

Residents in Plum and other Allegheny County communities may be eligible to receive disaster loans for damages to property from late July storms, the county’s Department of Emergency Services on Thursday said.

The U.S. Small Business Administration declared a disaster in Allegheny County after communities were hit with flooding on July 21 and 22. Rainstorms were reported to have dumped an average of 3 inches in parts of the region.

Plum residents sustained damage to homes, businesses and cars, while the Plum Creek Park baseball fields were pummeled and municipal roads were damaged.

“This is great news for the residents and businesses that were so severely impacted by the storms and flash floods in July, and we are grateful to Governor Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for their work to make the (Small Business Administration) designation happen,” County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in a statement said.

All homeowners, renters and business owners that were impacted by the storms in Allegheny or bordering counties who suffered damages are eligible for the loans.

The county Department of Emergency Services said loan amounts and terms are set by the Small Business Administration and based on individuals’ financial qualifications. More information on the program can be found on SBA’s website at bit.ly/1nLaQ6G.

Loan application office open in Plum

The SBA will open a staffed disaster loan outreach center that will serve as a hub for issuing loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and help people complete applications.

It will be located at the Renton Volunteer Fire Department in Plum, 1996 Old Mine Road.

The center will open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 9 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 20. All other days between then the center will open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed on Sundays.