Disaster recovery center in Lafayette County extended through June 10

Residents still working through the January ice storm have a few more days to sit across the table from FEMA and Small Business Administration specialists in Oxford. Lafayette County said the Disaster Recovery Center at the Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena will remain open through June 10, a small but important extension for households and small businesses that still need help sorting insurance questions, loss documentation, repair estimates, rental problems and business interruption concerns.

The center opened April 27 at 12:00 p.m. at 70 F.D. Buddy East Parkway and has been operating with regular hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and closed Sundays. Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointment is needed. County officials said the center would stay open for an extended period depending on community need and foot traffic, a sign that recovery from the January 23 to 27 winter storm is still far from finished for parts of Lafayette County.

The June 10 date matters because it is also the deadline for eligible Mississippi businesses, nonprofits, homeowners and renters to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans. Under FEMA-4899-DR, Mississippi’s major disaster declaration for the severe winter storm, Lafayette County is among the primary counties eligible for both physical-damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. SBA says businesses and nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million for physical damage, homeowners may borrow up to $500,000 for primary residence repairs, and homeowners and renters may borrow up to $100,000 for personal property. The loans carry interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for private nonprofits and 2.875% for homeowners and renters, with terms of up to 30 years.

SBA also opened a Business Recovery Center in Lafayette County on April 27 at the Lafayette County Drug Court Building, 101 Veterans Drive in Oxford, to help businesses, nonprofits and residents navigate disaster loan applications. SBA associate administrator Chris Stallings said these recovery centers have consistently proven their value after disasters because business owners can meet face to face with specialists who guide them through the loan process and connect them with resources.

For Lafayette County, the extension keeps local help within reach as repairs, insurance claims and loan applications continue to move at different speeds. If the center closes after June 10, survivors will still have federal recovery options, but the easy walk-in access that has been available in Oxford will be gone.