Resources for businesses, nonprofits and agriculture affected by Hurricane Milton
A. Business Resource and Assessment Center (BRAC)
The BRAC is a one-stop-shop where businesses can receive technical and financial assistance to aid in hurricane recovery and become more resilient to future disasters. It offers SBA disaster loan programs, business mentoring, coaching, and funding strategies.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has partnered with the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Hillsborough County and SCORE, a nonprofit business mentoring organization, to enhance the existing Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Hillsborough.
The BRAC is located at:
Hillsborough County Entrepreneur Collaborative Center (ECC)
2101 E. Palm Ave., Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 204-9267
Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday: 8 AM to 4 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 1 PM
Sunday: Closed
B. Business Damage Assessment
The State of Florida has opened the Business Damage Assessment Survey for Hurricane Milton. Please take a moment to complete the survey. Completing the survey helps to ensure the appropriate services are available during recovery.
Business Damage Assessment Survey
C. Hurricane Helene Agricultural Impacts Survey Available
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is conducting a survey to determine agricultural damages from Hurricane Milton. Survey results will be used to estimate production losses and inform local, state, and federal decision-making related to disaster declaration, response, and relief.
D. State of Florida, Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program
The Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program has been established within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to make low-interest or interest-free loans to agricultural and aquaculture producers who have experienced damage from a declared natural disaster.
E. U.S. Department of Agriculture Disaster Assistance for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Landowners
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) offer recovery programs and insurance products to help farmers, ranchers and communities that have been hard-hit by hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, and other related natural disaster events.
- Emergency Assistance for Hurricane, Flooding and Related Natural Disaster Events
- Comparison of USDA’s Conservation Programs to Aid Recovery after Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton
Additional Help for Agriculture Businesses
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a suite of disaster assistance, farm loan and conservation programs to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to recover. In September 2024, USDA made changes to its emergency loan program so that producers can access emergency loans for any amount of damage (previously farmers had to show a 30% production loss), and to increase access to flexible repayment terms, including interest-only payments, if necessary to recover from the disaster. Below you will find links to direct you to a variety of recovery assistance.
Livestock and Poultry Assistance
- Livestock Indemnity Program
- Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP)
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
- Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP)
Crop Assistance
Farm Loans
Farm and Forest Land Damage
- Emergency Conservation Program
- Emergency Forest Restoration Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program
F. Rebuilding Florida Fisheries Program
The Rebuilding Florida Fisheries Program was established to provide financial assistance from the Florida Disaster Fund and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to support fishery participants impacted by the 2024 Florida hurricane season with direct payments to support immediate needs to reopen fishery operations. Requests to repair or replace fishery-related items and equipment, as well as reimbursement for repairs and replacements already performed, are eligible through this program. Click the application link below for details and to apply.
G. U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans - Hurricane Milton
Depending on the circumstance, businesses may be eligible for the following loans:
Business Physical Damage Disaster Loans
The SBA Business Physical Damage Disaster Loans are available to businesses of any size, private nonprofit organizations, religious organizations, etc. These loans may be used to repair or replace physical property to include real estate, equipment, supplies, and inventory.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans
The SBA has made Economic Injury Disaster loans available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private nonprofit organizations. These working capital loans are designed to assist through the disaster recovery period.
To apply:
- Visit: SBA.gov/Disaster
- Call: SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, 8 AM to 8 PM, ET, Monday – Friday
- Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov
Deadline to apply:
- Physical Damage Disaster Loans - Dec. 16, 2024
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans - July 16, 2025
H. Assistance to Help Your Business and Employees
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides long-term low interest loans up to $2 million to cover disaster losses not fully covered by insurance.
SBA Business Physical Disaster Loans
- Eligible Applicants: Qualified businesses of any size and most non-profit organizations. There is no charge to apply for the loan, and you do not have to accept it if you are approved.
- Use of Proceeds: May be used to repair or replace physical assets such as real property, machinery, equipment, fixtures, inventory, leasehold improvements. Proceeds may not be used to upgrade or expand a business, except as required by building codes.
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans
The SBA provides long-term low interest loans up to $2 million for working capital to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private nonprofit organizations impacted by a disaster meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations until normal operations resume.
Share Assistance Information with Your Employees
- Encourage employees to apply online at Disasterassistance.gov
- Offer internet connectivity, if you have it available, to help them register
- Pass along the information on this page that may be relevant to your employees
Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant Program
- The U.S. Department of Labor approved up to $5 million in initial emergency grant funding to Florida to support disaster-relief jobs and training services in 31 counties to help respond to Hurricane Helene.
- The National Dislocated Worker Grant – supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 – allows the Florida Department of Commerce to provide people with temporary disaster-relief jobs and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to address immediate, basic needs for those displaced by Hurricane Milton.
- Eligible participants include individuals temporarily or permanently laid off because of the disaster and self-employed individuals who became unemployed or significantly underemployed because of the disaster.