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In a Friday press release, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)  announced more than $2 million in disaster loans have been approved for businesses and residents with losses resulting from the severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that occurred Jan. 12. As of Feb. 10, the SBA has approved 70 disaster loans for a total of $2,179,200 for businesses, homeowners, and renters.

“The SBA encourages anyone who has not applied to take action right away. Our mission is to help businesses and residents rebuild and resume their normal lives as quickly as possible,” said Kem Fleming, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

The disaster declaration includes Butts, Henry, Jasper, Meriwether, Newton, Spalding and Troup counties in Georgia, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Clayton, Coweta, DeKalb, Fayette, Harris, Heard, Jones, Lamar, Monroe, Morgan, Pike, Putnam, Rockdale, Talbot, Upson, and Walton in Georgia; and Chambers and Randolph in Alabama.