Seven Alabama counties are eligible for loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration as well as individual assistance from FEMA related to damages sustained Oct. 28-29 from Hurricane Zeta. Businesses and residents in 18 counties are eligible for economic injury loans or public assistance. The assistance is made possible through a federal major disaster declaration announced late Thursday, Dec. 10.
Hurricane Zeta Major Disaster Declaration for Alabama
Details of Available SBA Loans
Filing deadline for physical property damage is Feb. 8, 2021
Economic injury applications due Sept. 10, 2021
Zeta Alabama Disaster Landing Page on FEMA Website
(Updates on assistance can be found here)
The disaster declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Mobile, Perry, Washington and Wilcox counties. Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of Hurricane Zeta.
Those eligible can apply for a loan online via the SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov
The SBA operates Virtual Disaster Loan Outreach Centers/Business Recovery Center to help you apply online:
Open: Monday – Sunday (7 days/week)
Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Email: FOCE-Help@sba.gov
Phone: (800) 659-2955
While survivors in the seven core counties are eligible for both physical damage and economic injury loans, small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Butler, Chilton, Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Monroe and Sumter.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can apply for assistance at:
Register online at
www.DisasterAssistance.gov
OR
Call 1-800-621-3362
or 1-800-462-7585 TTY
Federal cost-sharing also is available for the state and local governments plus certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Zeta in Autauga, Butler, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, Talladega, Washington and Wilcox counties.
“This will go a long way in providing the people impacted by Zeta the help they need,” said Gov. Kay Ivey, who declared a state of emergency related to Hurricane Zeta, effective at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.
TAX RELIEF
IRS News Release (Dec. 11, 2020): Individuals and households who reside or have a business in Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Mobile, Perry, Washington and Wilcox counties also qualify for tax relief, the Internal Revenue Service announced. Certain deadlines falling on or after Oct. 28, 2020, and before March 1, 2021, are postponed through March 1, 2021.
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
Alabama Department of Labor News Release (Dec. 16, 2020): Those who became unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Zeta in Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Mobile, Perry, Washington, and Wilcox counties may qualify for unemployment assistance. The deadline to file a Disaster Unemployment Assistance claim is Jan. 14, 2021.
HURRICANE DETAILS AND EMERGENCY DECLARATION
The hurricane made landfall as a Category 2 storm shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, near Cocodrie, La. Overnight, the storm sped through Alabama on a diagonal track, leaving a half million in our state without power. One death was reported in Clarke County when a tree fell on a mobile home.
Prior to the hurricane, evacuation had been recommended for residents in storm surge and flood-prone areas of Baldwin and Mobile counties. The city of Gulf Shores had called for a voluntary evacuation of all visitors and tourists. The governor warned, “Folks even in the central part of our state should be prepared for the potential of tropical-force winds,” which proved true. The damage came as coastal Alabama continued to recover from Hurricane Sally.
The state of emergency suspended COVID-19 orders that would endanger lives affected by the storm or would impede response to the storm. With that one exception, COVID-19 orders remain in place.
The statewide emergency proclamation prohibits price gouging and eases transportation restrictions for the movement of emergency supplies throughout the state.
When Alabama experiences a state of emergency, Alabama’s price gouging law is in effect.
ALABAMA’S PRICE GOUGING LAW: Makes it unlawful for anyone to raise prices on commodities or lodging by more than 25 percent during the declared state of emergency. To avoid violating Alabama’s price gouging law, figure the price charged for each of the previous 30 days. Add the 30 daily prices, divide by 30, and multiply the price by .25, or 25 percent, to figure the maximum price increase allowed for any one day. The exception is if a wholesale price increases by more than 25 percent and merchants have no choice but to pass along the price increase.
The fine for violating Alabama’s price gouging law can be up to $1,000 per incident. Those who willfully and continually violate the law can be banned from doing business in Alabama.
TRANSPORTATION
The declaration also allows truck drivers delivering disaster-related supplies and goods to Alabama to exceed the hours of service or spend less time off duty than required by federal law. The waiver only applies to the time a driver is delivering the disaster supplies for up to 30 days after the emergency declaration, or until the declaration ends. Under federal law, a driver may drive only during a period of 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty. The proclamation loosens that regulation only as it relates to the timely delivery of disaster supplies for the 30 days or less of the emergency declaration.
The order also allows the Alabama Department of Transportation to issue weight waivers for vehicles and loads. Bridge and other structural weight limits and well as insurance requirements remain.
ROAD CLOSURES AND CONDITIONS
For real-time road conditions, the Alabama Department of Transportation encourages you to visit https://algotraffic.com/ or download the ALGO Traffic app available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
OVERWEIGHT OR OVERSIZE LOADS
For information on permitting related to oversize or overweight loads, contact the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Vehicle Enforcement Office from 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. CST Monday – Friday.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS:
- For medical and life-threatening emergencies, dial 9-1-1.
- Drivers can report an accident or other emergencies to state troopers by dialing *HP on their cellular devices.
- Businesses that want to know how to help or donate to relief efforts, call 2-1-1.
WEATHER INFORMATION:
Click the links below for more of your local weather information.
Huntsville https://www.weather.gov/hun/
Birmingham https://www.weather.gov/bmx/
Mobile https://www.weather.gov/mob/
Visit Alabama Retail’s Emergency Preparedness page for other links to the state’s emergency management resource.
Originally posted 3:58 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27