Small, non-farm businesses in 18 Texas counties may now apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. These disaster loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by adverse weather conditions in four primary Texas counties.

Small businesses in the following primary and neighboring counties may apply for working capital loans to offset economic losses that are attributable to the impact of the following weather conditions on the incident dates in each disaster:

Effects of Hurricane Dolly July 23-30: primary counties, Cameron and Hidalgo; neighboring counties, Brooks, Kenedy, Starr and Willacy.

Effects of drought beginning June 1 and continuing: primary counties, Burnet and San Saba; neighboring counties, Bell, Blanco, Brown, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Mills, Travis and Williamson.

Small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

"Eligibility for these loans is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage," said Alfred E. Judd, director of SBA's Disaster Field Operations Center. "These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent, a maximum term of 30 years, and are restricted to small businesses without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship."

By law, SBA makes EIDLs available when the U.S. secretary of agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. Secretary Ed Schafer declared these disasters at the request of Gov. Rick Perry.

Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about USDA assistance made available by the secretary's declaration. However, in drought disasters nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance.

Information and application forms are available from SBA's Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, e-mailing disaster customerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA's Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disaster assistance.

Hearing impaired individuals may call (800) 877-8339.