Flood relief office in downtown La Crosse is open to provide loans

Uncle Sam is ready to lend money to Coulee Region residents who had property losses from the summer flooding.

Victims of the recent flooding in the county have a couple more days to stop in at a special disaster recovery center in the county administrative building.

Federal workers will help homeowners, renters and business people try to obtain loans at very low interest. The center in will be open Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Kevin Noe from the Small Business Administration says there are loans at interest rates as low as 2 percent and 2.5 percent for nonprofit groups.

“That bridge, just in case that your insurance doesn’t that come through, yet,” Noe said, “You don’t know how much are insurance settlements going to be; you may or may not get a grant. We can go ahead and give you that first line of assistance if you qualify and get you back to that road to recovery.”

Before visiting the office at the county administrative center on 6th Street, Noe says loan-seekers need to register online or by phone with FEMA.

Homeowners could qualify for up to $200,000 and maybe in the millions for businesses.

Vernon County also has a disaster office operating in Westby.