By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Financial relief is on its way for Tristate residents who sustained uninsured flood damage this month.

The U.S. Small Business Administration on Friday declared Butler County a disaster area.

As a result, victims of the June 14-15 flood in Butler County and its neighboring counties can begin as early as Tuesday to apply for federal and state financial assistance for uninsured flood damage.

"I'm glad we're going to be able to help people out," said William Turner, director of the Butler County Emergency Management Agency. "We have a lot of people who are hurting and don't know what to do about it. The flood's really put them in a financial bind."

The SBA will open a temporary disaster assistance office on Tuesday at the Hamilton High School Media Center, 1165 Eaton Ave., Hamilton, where flood victims can apply for low-interest loans. The individual SBA loans to repair flood-damaged homes can be as much as $200,000. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to replace personal property.

Ohio residents who aren't eligible for the loans can apply for the state's individual assistance grants of up to $15,000.

The office at Hamilton High School will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It will be closed July 4. Beginning July 7, the office will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The office will close when the number of loan applicants tapers off.

Federal loan and state grant applications cannot be made by telephone. Applicants must come to the SBA's temporary office at the Hamilton High School Media Center and speak to loan officers, who will help them with their applications.

The deadline for SBA property-damage loan applications is Aug. 25. The deadline for flood-damaged businesses seeking the SBA's economic injury disaster loans to pay bills and meet expenses is March 29.

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com