Disaster Resources for Businesses

FloridaCommerce and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) have activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey in response to Hurricane Milton Business owners can self-report physical and economic damage caused by Hurricane Milton. Survey responses will allow the state to expedite Hurricane Milton recovery efforts by gathering data and assessing the needs of impacted businesses.

Businesses can complete the survey online by visiting https://floridajobs.org/floridadisaster.biz and selecting “Hurricane Milton” from the dropdown menu.

Please note, if you already filled out a Business Damage Assessment Survey for Hurricane Helene, and received subsequent damage due to Hurricane Milton, you will need to fill out a separate, new survey for damages incurred under Hurricane Milton.

If you need assistance with filling out the survey, please contact econdev@pinellas.gov and Pinellas County staff will assist you.

SBA offers low-interest, disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses, and non-profit organizations. For assistance with your application, visit the Business
Recovery Center at SPC Epicenter at St. Petersburg College, 13805 58th Street N, Suite 1-200,
Clearwater. Open Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM starting on October 21, 2024.

FloridaCommerce activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $50 million available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Milton. Florida small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. Businesses in Pinellas County, including sole proprietors, are eligible to apply.

The program provides short-term, zero-interest loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Milton.

Eligible small businesses may apply for loans of up to $50,000 through the program. Loans of up to $100,000 are available for agriculture and aquaculture small businesses. Loans approved through the Emergency Bridge Loan Program are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer-term recovery funding, such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims, or other resources.

Loans made under this program are short-term, zero-interest, personal loans using State of Florida funds. They are not grants and loans must be repaid by the approved applicant.

FloridaCommerce administers the Emergency Bridge Loan Program alongside its fiscal administrator, Florida First Capital Finance Corporation.

Visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to learn more about the program, view the lending guidelines and required documentation, and complete an application. Business owners who need further program information may call 833-832-4494 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has activated the Physical Disaster Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is
December 10, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 11, 2025.

Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at Lending.sba.gov or other locally announced locations. Please contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance.

SBA asistencia por desastre información en español

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton and are not eligible for regular state or federal Reemployment Assistance benefits. Eligible Floridians whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton are encouraged to submit a claim at Floridajobs.org.

Homeowners and renters who sustained damages or losses from Hurricane Milton or Hurricane
Helene can apply for FEMA Individual Assistance. Residents can apply at DisasterAssistance.gov,
using the FEMA app or at 1-800-621-3362.

Botanical Gardens-Magnolia Room, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33774. Open Mon. through
Sat. from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Open daily from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Each city is managing their own debris pickup program. If you live in a municipality, contact your city or town about the availability of storm debris pickup in your area. If you’re not sure if your property is located within unincorporated Pinellas or within a city/municipality, use the interactive My Neighborhood Services tool at pinellas.gov/my-neighborhood to find out.

Unincorporated Storm Debris Collection

FloridaCommerce and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) have activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey in response to Hurricane Helene. Business owners can self-report physical and economic damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Survey responses will allow the state to expedite Hurricane Helene recovery efforts by gathering data and assessing the needs of impacted businesses.

Businesses can complete the survey online by visiting https://floridajobs.org/floridadisaster.biz and selecting “Hurricane Helene” from the dropdown menu.

If you need assistance with filling out the survey, please contact econdev@pinellas.gov and Pinellas County staff will assist you.

SBA offers low-interest, disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses, and non-profit organizations. For assistance with your application, visit the Business
Recovery Center at SPC Epicenter at St. Petersburg College, 13805 58th Street N, Suite 1-200,
Clearwater. Open Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM starting on October 21, 2024.

FloridaCommerce activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $15 million available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene. Florida small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. Businesses in Pinellas County, including sole proprietors, are eligible to apply.

The program provides short-term, zero-interest loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Helene. Interested applicants can apply now through November 24, 2024, or until all available funds are expended.

Eligible small businesses may apply for loans of up to $50,000 through the program. Loans of up to $100,000 are available for agriculture and aquaculture small businesses. Loans approved through the Emergency Bridge Loan Program are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding, such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims, or other resources.

Loans made under this program are short-term, zero-interest, personal loans using State of Florida funds. They are not grants and loans must be repaid by the approved applicant.

FloridaCommerce administers the Emergency Bridge Loan Program alongside its fiscal administrator, Florida First Capital Finance Corporation.

Visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to learn more about the program, view the lending guidelines and required documentation, and complete an application by the November 24, 2024, deadline. Business owners who need further program information may call 833-832-4494 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

To support businesses who have experienced physical or economic injury from Hurricane Helene, the SBA has activated the Physical Disaster Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

What types of disaster loans are available?

Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

When are the application filing deadlines?

For Physical Damage: November 27, 2024

For Economic Injury: June 30, 2025

Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov or other locally announced locations. Please contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Review the Fact Sheet for full details on SBA Disaster Loans.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton and are not eligible for regular state or federal Reemployment Assistance benefits. Eligible Floridians whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton are encouraged to submit a claim at Floridajobs.org.

Each city is managing their own debris pickup program. If you live in a municipality, contact your city or town about the availability of storm debris pickup in your area. If you’re not sure if your property is located within unincorporated Pinellas or within a city/municipality, use the interactive My Neighborhood Services tool at pinellas.gov/my-neighborhood to find out.

Unincorporated Storm Debris Collection

FloridaCommerce announced that Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and are not eligible for regular state or federal Reemployment Assistance benefits. Eligible Floridians whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene are encouraged to submit a claim at FloridaJobs.org .

Additionally, work search reporting, waiting week, and Employ Florida registration requirements for Reemployment Assistance claims have been temporarily waived for Floridians impacted by Hurricane Helene in FEMA disaster-declared counties. By waiving these requirements, eligible Floridians will be able to quickly apply and receive Reemployment Assistance and Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits.

DUA is available to those who are ineligible to receive federal or state Reemployment Assistance benefits and the individual meets one of the following requirements:

• Is unemployed as a direct result of the major disaster;
• Was scheduled to start employment but was unable to as a direct result of the major disaster;
• Is unable to reach their job or self-employment location because the individual has to travel through an affected area and is prevented from doing so as a direct result of the major disaster;
• Has become the primary breadwinner because the head of the household died as a direct result of the major disaster; or
• Is unable to work because of an injury that was a direct result of the major disaster.

DUA is available for weeks of unemployment beginning September 29, 2024, through March 29, 2025 , as long as the individual’s unemployment continues to be a result of the disaster in the designated-disaster areas. The deadline to submit a claim for DUA benefits is no later than December 2, 2024.

To file a claim, go to www.FloridaJobs.org and select “File a Claim”, visit a  local CareerSource Career Center, or call 1-800-385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For DUA claims information, call 1-833-FL-APPLY (1-833-352-7759) to speak with a representative.

Applications filed after the deadline will be considered untimely and DUA benefits may be denied unless the individual provides good cause. Applicants must submit their Social Security number, check stubs, and documentation to support the claim that they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred, or evidence substantiating they were unable to begin employment or self-employment due to the disaster. In some cases, additional documentation may be required. To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the date the DUA application is filed.

Homeowners and renters who sustained damages or losses from Hurricane Milton or Hurricane
Helene can apply for FEMA Individual Assistance. Residents can apply at DisasterAssistance.gov,
using the FEMA app or at 1-800-621-3362.

Botanical Gardens-Magnolia Room, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33774. Open Mon. through
Sat. from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Open daily from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.