CAIRO, Ga. — Cairo is picking up the pieces. It's been just over two weeks since a tornado tore through the community, ripping down power lines and trees, leaving sheet metal wrapped around poles and roofs ripped off buildings.
Now more resources are coming to the Cairo community to help pick up, two weeks after the tornado.
A Disaster Recovery Center is now open at the Agricenter on 11th Avenue.
Most of the roads around Cairo have been cleared of debris from the March 3 tornado, but residents and business owners still have to repair the damaged homes and other buildings.
Some are making small fixes to their places, while others will need much more money to get back to normal.
That's where the Small Business Administration comes in. Renters, home and business owners, and even nonprofits can apply for low interest loans to repair or replace damaged property.
Though the application process can be done online, a spokesman with the Small Business Administration says that it's beneficial to come out to a Disaster Recovery Center.
"We have customer assistance representatives on ground who will walk them through the application process. It takes about 35 minutes and can be the best 35 minutes that one spends in the aftermath of a disaster," said Edward Gregory Dawson, Public Affairs Specialist for Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance.
Though some residents may think they won't qualify for a disaster loan, they are still encouraged to apply as loans can always be turned down.
The deadline to file for a disaster loan is May 17, but the outreach center in Cairo will be closing by Wednesday of next week.
Dawson says it takes about 15 days for a loan application to be reviewed.
