The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to Provide Residents and Businesses Impacted by the Severe Storms and Flooding in August 2025 with Low-interest Loans

CHICAGO: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved a disaster declaration for the severe storms and flooding that impacted six counties in northeastern Illinois from Aug. 16-18, 2025. This declaration will allow homeowners, renters, businesses, and certain non-profit organizations to apply for low-interest loans to help cover damages not covered by insurance.

The declaration includes the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. These areas qualify for both physical disaster loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) through the SBA. The SBA staff will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center(s) starting Friday, March 20 to allow disaster survivors to ask questions in person and obtain assistance in applying for two kinds of loan assistance: physical damage loans (all six counties) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) (all six counties).

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS) and the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) are working with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide assistance to residents impacted by the August storm with disaster loan assistance.

Homeowners and renters can apply for up to $500,000 in low-interest loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners or renters can apply for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property such as appliances and furniture. Businesses and some not-for-profits can borrow up to $2 million for physical damages.

The SBA's EIDL program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations that have suffered financial losses as a direct result of the disaster. However, the SBA cannot offer disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for those operating small aquaculture enterprises.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Friday, May 15. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Wednesday, December 16.

State of Illinois SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOC)

Residents can apply for the disaster assistance at one of the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center the locations list below or online at sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance beginning Friday, March 20. The locations include the Downtown U.S. Small Business Administration office, select Chicago Aldermanic Offices, as well as three suburban Cook County locations.

Note: All impacted residents, regardless of where they live can go to any Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) site, even if it is not their Ward, county or municipality. Each location will have a Spanish translator available.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

City of Chicago Downtown Office (appointment only)

332 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 600 Chicago, IL 60604

Phone: 312-353-4528

Illinois | U.S. Small Business Administration

City of Chicago Locations - Ward Offices

March 20 - April 2

Ald. Silvana Tabares Office, Ward 23

5680 S Archer Ave., Suite 100

Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Ald. Michael D. Rodriguez Office, Ward 22

2500 South St. Louis Avenue

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Ald. Marty Quinn, Ward 13

6500 South Pulaski Road

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

April 3 - April 18

Ald. Julia M. Ramirez, Ward 12

3868 South Archer Avenue

Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ald. Raymond Lopez, Ward 15

2650 West 51st Street

Monday - Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thursday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ald. Jeylu B. Gutierrez, Ward 14

3124 West 59th Street

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

April 20 - May 4

Ald. Derrick G. Curtis, Ward 18

8359 South Pulaski Road

Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ald. Stephanie D. Coleman, Ward 16

1137 West 63rd Street, Unit C

Monday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Ald. David Moore, Ward 17

1344 West 79th Street

Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

May 5 - May 16

Ald. William E. Hall, Ward 6

8541 South State Street

Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - noon

Ald. Ronnie L. Mosley, Ward 21

10805 South Halsted Street

Monday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ald. Silvana Tabares Office, Ward 23

5680 S Archer Ave., Suite 100

Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Suburban Cook County Locations

March 20 - April 9

Village of Berwyn Senior Center 3320 Grove Ave., Berwyn, IL 60402

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Summit Park District 5700 S. Archer Rd., Summit, IL 60501 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

March 20 - March 28

Mt. Prospect Emergency Operations Center 1720 Central Rd., Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Online Applications

To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.