Low-interest loans available to N.C. tornado victims

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest loans to North Carolina residents and businesses who suffered damage in tornadoes May 11.

The decision came in response to a request from Gov. Mike Easley, who last week asked the SBA to offer the disaster loans.

A tornado tore through Bertie County about 6:30 p.m., damaging houses and a church. Owners of 30 homes that were destroyed or had major damage did not have insurance, Easley's office said.

There was damage in Onslow and neighboring counties. Sixteen homes and 10 businesses that were damaged in Onslow were not covered by insurance.

The two primary counties where loans are available are Bertie and Onslow, said Michael Lampton, a spokesman for the SBA. But people in nearby counties who suffered damage can apply for a loan, he said.

Loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace their homes. Loans of up to $40,000 are available to replace damaged personal property.

Interest rates for homeowners and renters are as low as 2.7 percent, the SBA said, with terms up to 30 years.

SBA representatives are available at two outreach centers. The Bertie center is at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 102 Mount Olive Road, Windsor. The Onslow center is at Maysville Town Hall, 404 Main St., Maysville.

The centers opened Tuesday and will remain open through May 29. People also can get information by calling 1-800- 659-2955.

Additionally, the state is offering grants for temporary housing, rental assistance and repairs to anyone who is not eligible for a federal loan.

Several tornadoes moved through eastern North Carolina on May 11, and storms also hit southeast Virginia. None of the storms in Virginia reached the status of a tornado, the National Weather Service office in Wakefield said.

Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com