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Flood aid extended to Burlco residents and businesses

A federal disaster declaration makes residents and businesses eligible for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration for damages and other loss from July 12 flooding.

The July 12 flooding caused widespread damage on both sides of the Delaware River, including inside this home at Lafayette Gardens Condominiums in Bensalem.
The July 12 flooding caused widespread damage on both sides of the Delaware River, including inside this home at Lafayette Gardens Condominiums in Bensalem.Read moreTYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer

Burlington County has been included in a federal disaster declaration that originally applied only to Pennsylvania counties after an evening of destructive flash flooding that swamped the Philadelphia region July 12, officials announced Saturday.

The designation makes county residents and businesses eligible for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration for damage and other loss from the “100-year” flooding.

“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,” County Commissioner Director Felicia 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.”

» READ MORE: Devastated communities in Bucks, Burlington Counties assess damage after ’100-year flood’

Sizable amounts of rain fell on both sides of the Delaware River over a four-hour period. In Croydon, Bucks County, 10.28 inches of rain fell, making it the hardest hit in the area, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. In Burlington County, 7.63 inches of rain inundated Florence Township, with Burlington Township and Burlington City each getting more than 6 inches. The impact in Philadelphia was relatively minimal with just over 2 inches of rain measured.

Three types of SBA loans are available for eligible businesses and residents — to help businesses repair or replace damaged property, to meet financial obligations that cannot otherwise be met because of the storm’s destruction, and to repair or replace damaged real estate and personal property, including vehicles.

Maximum loans for businesses and nonprofits are $2 million and for homeowners and renters, $200,000, according to the Burlington County announcement.

To apply or get more information, call 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or go to https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela.