SBA setting up shop in Snohomish County for victims of November’s deadly bomb cyclone

Starting Tuesday, thousands of people who suffered damage during the bomb cyclone can now apply for disaster assistance in Monroe in Snohomish County.

The Small Business Administration is offering low-interest loans to anyone who took a financial loss during that deadly bomb cyclone in November.

That includes those who took a loss after the storm blew through.

Our colleague Jason Sloss interviewed an arborist who nearly died while working clean up after the storm. What about him?  We put that question to the Small Business Administration. After he and lots of others need the assistance being offered here.

They flew here from Sacramento and Saint Louis Missouri, these workers with the Small Business Administration for just one purpose: to help anyone who took a financial hit during the deadly bomb cyclone that swept through Western Washington one week before Thanksgiving.

“These are loans,” said Cynthia Cowley, SBA Public Information Officer. “We do require the ability to repay the loan. And we do require creditworthiness. But we’re not as tough as people might think.”

SBA’s Cowell says the federal agency is offering good terms for those loans, low interest rates and one year to start paying them back.

“And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a huge disaster like it was in Southern California or a smaller disaster such as Snohomish County,” she said.

She says anyone in any county that shares a boundary with King County would qualify.

“What do you think would have happened had the tree landed right on you?” Dustin Gerstner was asked.

“Done,” said Gerstner, “absolutely gone.”

We wanted to know if that includes this Bothell arborist. Gerstner was nearly killed days after the storm, helping homeowners with the massive cleanup. Now he is out of work, facing massive medical bills.

“He could possibly qualify for an economic injury disaster loan,” said Cowley. “We can’t cover his medical costs he may want to go through the county for that. So, he should apply.”

In fact, that is her advice for everyone who feels they were impacted by the storm. The worst that can happen, she says, is that they say no.

Just two people showed up here today. But SBA will be here until 6 or 7 at night depending on the day of the week.

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