By: The Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) | 5.7.24
On the evening of April 30, a deadly EF3 tornado whipped through Westmoreland with 140 mile an hour winds. The tornado killed one person, injured another three people, destroyed 22 homes and damaged many more.
Governor Laura Kelly requested SBA Disaster loans for people impacted and information will be available soon on how to access those funds.
Resources Available
USDA 504 Home Repair
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Rural Development invites Kansans from rural communities to apply for loans and grants to repair property damaged during the recent storms. The 504 Home repair program can be used to cover the costs of storm damage repair. The program may also be used for the construction of storm shelters.
USDA makes funding available for the Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants through regular appropriations from Congress. It provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes, or provides grants to elderly, very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair Program, loans can be granted for as much as $40,000 and grants for as much as $10,000. Loans and grants can be combined for a total amount as high as $50,000.
Kansas Department of Commerce Urgent Need for Disasters
This program through the Kansas Department of Commerce helps communities address an urgent need resulting from a sudden and severe natural or other disaster where no other financial resources are available. Communities can request up to $100,000 for eligible expenses.
Kansas Department of Commerce Emergency HEAL
Emergency Response HEAL grants are intended to bring rural downtown buildings back from likely demolition or collapse and rehabilitate them into productive use as spaces for new or expanding businesses, childcare, housing, arts and culture, or entrepreneurship.
In 2023, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly approved an annual allocation of $500,000 for Emergency Response HEAL projects, establishing a rolling deadline program that can be quickly reviewed and awarded to stabilize a building at risk of collapse.
SBA Disaster Loans
U.S. Small Business Administration provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from a declared disaster. Businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters, and private nonprofit organizations can apply. You must be located in a declared disaster area and meet other eligibility criteria depending on the type of loan.
More information on how to apply will be available soon.
Are there additional resources to add to this list? Contact us and let us know so we can get the word out.
Watch drone footage of the storm damage.
Read updates from Pottawatomie County.