Don’t wait on an insurance settlement before applying for federal disaster help, including loan assistance from the Small Business Administration, the SBA says.

Homeowners, renters and businesses in 40 Mississippi counties affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding along the Mississippi River and its tributaries in April and May are encouraged to return their completed applications, even if they have not settled with their insurance company.

Deadlines to file applications for tornado or flood damage are June 28 if physical property damage occurred in April and July 11 for flood damages beginning May 3 and continuing.

Applications for federal flood aid are being taken at www.fema.gov. or at 1-800-621-3362.

SBA loan applications may be filled out at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

“Waiting to file an SBA application could cause unnecessary delays in receiving disaster assistance and the survivors may miss the application deadline,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA Field Operations Center East.

SBA’s Disaster Customer Service Representatives are available at Disaster Recovery Centers to assist people with completing the applications. A center is established in Vicksburg at 2127 Washington St., at the former Blackburn Motors dealership.

Those denied for loans from SBA are referred back to FEMA for grants that cover personal property, vehicle repair and moving and storage expenses.

If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA will consider making a loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay their SBA loan.

Most interest rates are below 3 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years.

Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.