Ida Disaster Relief Office Will Open In Anne Arundel County, Support Tornado Victims

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An office to help Tropical Depression Ida victims will open Thursday in Annapolis at 11 a.m. This Disaster Loan Outreach Center is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that the agency would offer low-interest loans to aid residents and businesses hit by the storm, which damaged Anne Arundel County with a tornado last month. The new office will assist Marylanders with applications for these recovery loans.

The branch will be situated inside the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation, located at 2660 Riva Road Suite No. 200. It will be open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office will close permanently on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. Customer service representatives will also be available for online chats at this link.

The Annapolis Office of Economic Development updates this Tornado Recovery Page with a list of resources for city businesses. Companies can get more information by calling the Department of Planning and Zoning at (410) 260-2200.

Within a few weeks, the state will create a one-stop website for families that need help renting or rebuilding. That effort is led by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Small Bussiness Administration loans came days after the governor unveiled a $4 million plan to help locals affected by the storm. Hogan released that initiative shortly after the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Maryland's request for a presidential disaster declaration and its associated relief.

Patch's full explanation of the Small Business Administration loans is posted here. Our guide to all the state aid is viewable at this link.

RELATED: Tornado Can Shake Store, But Not Determination Of Business Owner

Anne Arundel County and Annapolis both declared states of emergency after a twister spawned from Tropical Depression Ida on Sept. 1. The states of emergency have since expired, but the damage still remains.

The EF-2 tornado reached wind speeds of 125 mph while traveling from Edgewater to Annapolis and causing 3,924 power outages. Homes, schools, and businesses were damaged. In the state capital, the twister temporarily displaced 38 residents and left:

• 5 buildings destroyed
• 25 condemned
• 29 with major damage
• 46 with minor damage

Fundraisers have collected thousands for affected businesses, like Chris's Charcoal Pit. The Annapolis Town Center also hosted a benefit concert Sunday that raised more than $10,000 for the victims, WMAR journalist Abby Isaacs shared.

To learn more about the tornado benefit concert, check out WMAR's full story.

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RELATED:

• More Ida Relief Announced For MD Businesses, Residents
• Ida Tornado: Hogan Offers $4M In Aid To Residents, Businesses
• Federal Relief Money Denied After Anne Arundel Tornado: Report
• Concert For Tornado Victims Raises $10K
• Annapolis Tornado Leaves Businesses, Locals In Need Of Donations
• Tornado Can Shake Store, But Not Determination Of Business Owner
• Annapolis Tornado Town Hall To Help Residents Wednesday
• Tornado Wind Speeds Hit 125 MPH On Path To Annapolis, Edgewater
• Anne Arundel Tornado Cleanup Prompts State Of Emergency
• Annapolis Tornado: Dozens Of Homes, Commercial Buildings Damaged
• Tornado Damages Annapolis Businesses, South River Stadium

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