SBA Disaster Loans Available Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration in Georgia

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Small Business Administration announces today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes located in all Georgia counties except Catoosa, Columbia and Whitfield as a result of excessive rainfall that began on Sept. 18, 2009.

“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist eligible entities affected by the same disaster”

“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist eligible entities affected by the same disaster,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East.

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Agricultural producers, farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA.

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with a 4 percent interest rate and terms up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Those affected by the disaster may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than November 2, 2010.

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Georgia cities set rainfall records in December

Georgia ended 2009 on a cold, rainy note, setting several records for December across the state, including some annual records. Strong fronts brought severe weather, too.

Rainfall was well above normal, according to radar estimates. Many areas south of the fall line from Columbus to Augusta and in the northeast mountains received more than 10 inches of rain.
The highest monthly total from National Weather Service reporting stations was 13.62 inches in Columbus (9.22 inches above normal). The lowest was in Brunswick at 4.02 inches (1.19 inches above normal). Atlanta received 9.10 inches (5.28 inches above normal), Macon 8.98 inches (5.05 inches above normal), Athens 8.87 inches (5.16 inches above normal), Augusta 8.97 inches (5.83 inches above normal), Savannah 10.71 inches (7.90 inches above normal), Valdosta 7.45 inches (3.79 inches above normal) and Alma 7.51 inches (3.84 inches above normal).

The highest monthly totals from Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network stations were 16.27 inches in Clay County in southwest Georgia and 13.06 inches in Rabun County in far northeast Georgia.

The Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring system reported 11.79 inches at Tiger in Rabun County, 13.85 inches at Plains in Sumter County and 16.72 inches in Georgetown in Quitman County for the month.

Daily record maximum rainfalls occurred Dec. 2 across many areas with the passage of a Gulf of Mexico low. The highest daily record of 3.63 inches was set at Columbus. Record daily rainfalls were also measured at several locations Dec. 13, 14 and 18 in areas associated with warm fronts ahead of lows from the gulf.

Augusta, Columbus and Savannah all broke their all-time December precipitation records. Augusta’s Bush Field airport recorded 8.97 inches, beating 8.65 inches set in 1981. Columbus recorded 13.62 inches, beating 9.39 inches set in 1953. Savannah recorded 10.71 inches, beating 9.44 inches set in 2007. In addition, Macon reported its third wettest December ever, falling just short of 10.39 inches set in 1972.

Several stations in Georgia set annual rainfall records in 2009, including Columbus with a preliminary annual total of 80.23 inches, washing away the old record of 73.22 inches set in 1964. A final annual report will be issued later this month.

Temperatures were cooler than normal, with the exception of coastal cities. No temperature records were set. The monthly average temperature in Atlanta was 42.3 degrees F (3.1 degrees below normal), in Athens 42 degrees (2.8 degrees below normal), in Columbus 46.1 degrees (3 degrees below normal), in Macon 45.9 degrees (1.9 degrees below normal), in Savannah 52 degrees (.6 degree above normal), in Brunswick 54.4 degrees (.2 degree above normal), in Alma 51.3 degrees (2.3 degrees below normal), in Valdosta 51.4 degrees (average) and in Augusta 45.6 degrees (1.3 degrees below normal).

Georgians experienced four days of severe weather in December. Four weak tornadoes occurred Dec. 2 in central and southeast Georgia, including one that injured two people in a mobile home in Pierce County. Several other structures were damaged in the storms.

Strong winds were reported Dec. 8, causing scattered damage to trees and power lines. Another tornado was reported Dec. 9 in Wayne County, damaging a mobile home and slightly injuring the resident. Strong winds and some funnel clouds were also reported Dec. 14.
Rivers were reported to have minor to moderate flooding on several dates. The moderate flooding was mainly confined to the larger rivers below the fall line.

The wet month caused problems for farmers trying to harvest hay and other crops. Up to 71 percent of the soils were considered to have surplus moisture. Wheat planting was down by up to 30 percent in some areas due to the inability of farmers to run equipment in the waterlogged fields. Some areas still had up to 25 percent of their cotton to harvest.

Though we are only half way through the month, it already looks like January could set some weather records, too.

By Pam Knox
University of Georgia

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SBA Disaster Loans Available Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration in Georgia

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Small Business Administration announces today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes located in the State of Georgia as a result of excessive rainfall, flash flooding, severe wind, tornadoes and lightning that began on March 26, 2009.

These loans are available in the following counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Butts, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crawford, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Houston, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lamar, Lanier, Long, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Peach, Pierce, Pike, Pulaski, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Turner, Twiggs, Upson, Ware, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox and Worth in Georgia.

“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist small businesses and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes affected by the same disaster,” said Frank Skaggs, Director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East.

Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to farm-related and nonfarm-related small business concerns, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA.

Eligible small businesses and non-profit organizations may qualify for loans up to $2 million. These loans are available at a 4 percent interest rate with loan terms up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. Under this disaster declaration, the SBA cannot provide loans to agricultural producers.

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Those affected by the disaster may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than March 22, 2010.

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Georgia emerges from three-year drought

Thanks to one of the wettest springs in Georgia’s history, the drought that has gripped the state for three years has ended.

March through May was the second wettest spring out of the past 115 in Georgia. The vast majority of the state has been climatological drought-free since March. The exception has been the Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell basins. Conditions in these basins have continued to improve over the past few months.

Proper drought management requires a period of recharge of the hydrologic systems after the end of the climatological drought.

Soil moisture and stream flows across the state are normal to much above normal for the middle of June.

With the end of the drought, the entire state has returned to the non-drought outdoor watering schedule. This means that odd number addresses can use outdoor water on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Even number addresses may use outdoor water on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

There are no restrictions on the time of outdoor water use. However, watering of plants between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is discouraged since much of the water evaporates before entering the soil and thus has limited effectiveness.

Proper water use can enhance a landscape. However, improper watering can cause a host of problems. Most lawns will thrive on one inch of water per week. This water can come from either rain or irrigation. Best results are usually obtained if the watering is done once per week.

Additional information on proper watering and care of landscapes is available through your local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office.

Water conservation information is available from Watersmart: Save Water, Save Time, Save Money! at www.watersmart.net and Conserve Water Georgia at www.conservewatergeorgia.net.

Additional moisture conditions information and updates can be found at www.georgiadrought.org. Automated weather data is at www.georgiaweather.net. Daily rainfall data is at www.cocorahs.org. U.S. Geological Survey data is at ga.water.usgs.gov.

By David Stooksbury
University of Georgia

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Lanier and Hartwell basins improve to mild drought

Thanks to generous rains, Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell basins have improved to mild drought. The basins were previously in moderate drought.

The mild drought classification is based on the still low levels of the lakes. The remainder of the state, however, is drought-free.

Soil moisture conditions are above normal for the entire state except the north-central and northeast mountain counties. Soil moisture in these regions is near normal for early May. These counties include the drainage basins for Lanier and Hartwell.

Stream flows are near normal for early May except for northwest Georgia, where stream flows are well above normal.

May is typically one of the drier months in Georgia. Additionally, with high temperatures routinely in the 80s and plant water use very high, moisture loss is accelerated. We normally expect the soils to start to dry out this month.

As we progress through the summer into the middle of fall, moisture loss from the soil - due to evaporation and plant use - is normally greater than rainfall. With normal weather over the next several months, Georgians can expect to see a drying of the soils. However, this is normal and does not mean that Georgia is heading back into a drought.

Additional weather and climate information can be found at www.georgiaweather.net and www.georgiadrought.org.

Agricultural climatology information can be found at www.agroclimate.org.

Coastal climate information can be found at www.coastalclimate.org.

Daily rainfall data is at www.cocorahs.org.

U.S. Geological Survey data is at ga.water.usgs.gov. Water conservation information is available at www.conservewatergeorgia.net.

By David Stooksbury
University of Georgia

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March rain relieves Georgia drought

An unusually wet March has brought major drought relief to north Georgia. Only the Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell basins are now in drought. The remainder of north Georgia is drought-free.

Abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions continue across south Georgia, however.

Though relief has come, long-term rainfall deficits are still...http://thewatermain.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-rain-relieves-georgia-drought.html

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Severe Weather Outbreaks Unusual for February

Temperatures were slightly above normal and rainfall was below normal for most of Georgia in February, according to data collected by the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network and the National Weather Service.

There were no temperature records broken or tied during the month. Most stations reported mean temperatures of 1 degree Fahrenheit above normal for the month. Athens reported the highest above-normal departure at 1.5 F. Savannah reported the lowest below-normal departure at 2.1 F.

The swings in temperature seen in January continued in February as a series of fronts moved through the region, bringing Arctic and Gulf of Mexico air by turns through Georgia. This is expected during the neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation phase, whose effects linger, though a weak La Niña has developed in the Pacific.

Severe weather hit the state three times in February. On Feb.11, high winds were reported in far north Georgia with the development of a strong low-pressure system in the Ohio River valley.

On Feb. 18, the state experienced an unusual widespread outbreak of severe weather ahead of a low-pressure area that developed near the Gulf of Mexico and moved northeast along a cold front. Numerous reports of tornadoes and large hail along with high winds were reported in many parts of the state, causing an estimated $25 million.

One person was killed in Hancock County when a mobile home rolled over, and 22 injuries were reported across the state.

A hailstone estimated at 4.25 inches was reported in Coweta County, the largest hailstone ever officially reported in February in Georgia.

On Feb. 28, a strong weather system brought high winds and hail to Georgia. Numerous trees were downed and hail was reported in Bibb and Chatham counties.

Heavy rains fell across much of Georgia, including rainfalls of more than 3 inches along the north Georgia-Alabama border. Some localized flooding was reported by the NWS.

Despite the rainfall, drought conditions expanded slightly in east Georgia and along the coast. The entire state is considered in abnormally dry conditions, with moderate drought or higher covering over 75 percent of the state.

During the month, Atlanta received 3.70 inches (or 0.98 inches below normal), Athens 3.67 inches (0.72 inches below normal), Columbus 5.44 inches (0.96 inches above normal), Macon 2.32 inches (2.23 inches below normal), Savannah 1.33 inches (1.59 inches below normal), Alma 1.47 inches (3.36 inches below normal), Brunswick 1.83 inches (2.03 inches below normal) and Augusta 3.21 inches (0.90 inches below normal).

Only two small regions of Georgia received above normal rainfall: a narrow band stretching west to east near Augusta and a small swath northeast of Valdosta. Columbus reported a new daily record of 2.75 inches of precipitation on Feb. 28.

Dry, cool conditions delayed small grain growth and suppressed winter grazing for cattle. Due to temperatures below 20 F in southeast Georgia, blueberries farmers there lost as much as 65 percent of their Southern highbush blueberries, with scattered damage to their early rabbiteye blueberries.

By Pam Knox
University of Georgia

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Recent Rains May Provide Too Much Water for Trees

Recent rains left soils soggy across the state. The muddy puddles are doing more than making a mess. The stress the pools of water are placing on trees can cause serious problems down the road.

The first week of 2009 brought five or more inches of rainfall to some North Georgia cities. Rome received 6.15 inches of rain between Jan. 1 and 7, according to the University of Georgia's Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network. GAEMN recorded 5.47 inches in Blue Ridge, 5.12 inches in Calhoun, 5.10 in Gainesville and 5.12 in Lafayette.

“It seems strange to talk about too much water when we have experienced a drought for several years,” said Jean Woodward, a plant pathologist with UGA Cooperative Extension. “However, the drought-weakened trees, particularly those damaged by construction injury, are more susceptible to wood decay fungal diseases. Excess water now can increase disease development.”
Trees with stressed or damaged root systems are at a greater risk for disease and fallout, risking property damage and injury. Driving cars over root systems or cutting them for construction purposes damages the tree, too.

“The biggest thing homeowners can do is not stress them out,” Woodward said. “Avoid driving over saturated soils. Soils will become compacted and put the tree under greater stress. Once roots are damaged, the tree will slowly decline over time.”

A large amount of rainfall after trees have shed their leaves helps to limit the immediate risk of tree fallout. But, damage to root systems now will increase risks for falling trees when leaves and powerful thunderstorms return in the spring and fall.

“Trees being without leaves now is actually helpful,” Woodward said. “The biggest concern is with full canopy trees. When leaves become saturated with water it can weigh down the tree. The leaves also act like a sail capturing the wind making it more prone to fall in stormy weather.”

One thing to watch out for is fungal growth around the base of the tree.

“People will start seeing mushrooms around the base of the trees or conks coming off the trunks that indicate rot in the center of the tree,” she said. “Once you see these signs of disease, there is no control. The tree will continue to decline and you need to think about taking the tree down.”

But, these disease indicators won’t surface until the spring or fall and most often go unnoticed.

“Mushrooms and conks indicate that there is rot, but they don’t mean that the tree will die overnight,” she said. “Depending on the stress of the tree and the amount of damage to roots or trunks, the tree can die within a few years or live for more than 10 years.”

Woodward said the best thing to do to protect your trees is don’t injure plant roots and to correct conditions that may weaken the tree, such as diverting pooling water.

“During heavy rain, it is a good time to take a look and see if landscapes are draining well,” she said. “Check plants to see if water is pooling around them. If it is, try to redirect the water.”

She suggests adding extenders to downspouts and installing French drains to divert excess rainwater. Don’t add mulch to absorb the moisture. Doing so will only add more stress to the drowning plant as it will take away much-needed oxygen.

“There is not a whole lot people can do now except keep water from pooling,” she said. “It is that type of change that can help save those trees in the future.”

By April Sorrow
University of Georgia

April Sorrow is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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Flood Warnings Issued for Northeast Georgia Counties

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City has issued a county flood warning until 9:30 AM EST on Wednesday, January 7, for urban areas and small streams in...

Dawson County in North Central Georgia
Fannin County in North Central Georgia
Hall County in North Central Georgia
Lumpkin County in North Central Georgia
Union County in North Central Georgia
Banks County in Northeast Georgia
Towns County in Northeast Georgia
White County in Northeast Georgia

By Wednesday morning, a total storm accumulation of 4-7 inches of rain is possible.

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Georgia’s Winter Weather will be Extreme

Georgians can expect a roller coaster winter with temperatures jumping between warm and extremely cold.

The southeastern United States is currently in what is called a neutral phase of the El Niño - Southern Oscillation. The ENSO refers to the surface temperatures around the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The ENSO’s other two phases are El Niño and La Niña.

Last winter, a La Niña ENSO phase influenced Georgia’s weather.

The neutral phase normally brings a winter with wide swings in temperatures. This means that Georgia can expect extremely cold periods with single digits in the mountains and the lower 20s in south and coastal Georgia. Between the extremely cold periods, warm temperatures in the 70s can be expected.

All devastating freezes that have affected the Southeast have occurred during neutral winters. Devastating freezes for Georgia have been ones with temperatures below zero in the mountains, around 10 degrees along the coast and single digits in south Georgia.

This does not mean that every neutral winter will have a devastating freeze, but the odds are greatly increased. Because of the greater likelihood of a devastating freeze this winter, all Georgians are urged to take necessary precautions to protect life and property.

The rainfall outlook is less certain. Rainfall during neutral winters is very variable. Some neutral winters are very wet while other are very dry. At this time, we don’t know what we’ll get. Whether Georgia experiences a wet or dry winter will depend on the number of low-pressure systems that develop in the northern Gulf of Mexico and move across the state.

We do know, however, that the past 15 winters have been drier than the long-term average. Given this trend, the best rainfall outlook for the winter is to hedge our bets that the winter will be drier than the long-term average.

A dry winter is not what the state needs. Northeast and north-central Georgia are still in extreme drought. Lakes Lanier, Hartwell, Russell and Clarks Hill are near or below their record lows. A very wet winter is needed for these lakes to fully recover.

Additionally, a dry winter will set the state up for another drought. Georgia depends on winter rains to recharge the soil moisture, groundwater and reservoirs for the heavy water use in summer. If the state does not receive adequate rains this winter, the probability of the drought expanding will increase.

By David E. Stooksbury
University of Georgia

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