Hamilton County small businesses and nonprofits that lost revenue during the August derecho can apply for low-interest federal disaster loans, even if they suffered no physical damage.

The U.S. Small Business Administration opened its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to Hamilton County after a presidential disaster declaration issued for Indiana on Aug. 25. Hamilton County qualifies as an adjacent county. Applications are due May 25, 2027.

The program covers working-capital shortfalls caused by the Aug. 11–14 storms. Eligible borrowers include small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture businesses and most private nonprofits, including faith-based organizations. Funds can go toward payroll, fixed debts, accounts payable and other bills a business could not cover because of the disaster, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

The distinction matters. Hamilton County businesses are eligible only for economic injury loans, not SBA physical damage loans. That means the program targets lost income, not rebuilding costs.

The storms hit Hyde Park and Mount Lookout hard. Wind gusts topped 60 mph on Aug. 11, downing trees on Ault Park Avenue and causing a transformer to explode in Hyde Park. The National Weather Service later confirmed an EF1 tornado cut an 11-mile path from Butler County into Hamilton County that day. More than 180,000 Duke Energy customers lost power, with nearly 49,000 outages concentrated in Hamilton County alone, WVXU reported.

The financial toll on small businesses was steep. In Madeira, Ali's Bar and Grill owner Alison Tepe-Guy estimated the outage cost her restaurant nearly $25,000 in spoiled food and lost sales. "We're small. Even a $5,000 loss is astronomical to us," Tepe-Guy told WCPO on Aug. 19.

Interest rates on SBA disaster loans run 4% for businesses, according to Fox 59's reporting on the same disaster declaration. Loan terms can stretch to 30 years. Borrowers owe no interest and no payments for the first 12 months after receiving funds.

The EIDL program is separate from the city of Cincinnati's roughly $2 million relief fund for July flooding and from Duke Energy storm-recovery grants.

The Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency announced the program's availability. Businesses can apply at sba.gov/disaster, call the SBA at 800-659-2955 or email [email protected]. An SBA fact sheet is posted at hamiltoncountyohio.gov.