Extreme weather can cause many worries for the South Florida business owner with the seasonal threat of hurricanes and flooding. Damage caused by frost and freezing temperatures however definitely falls below the radar of risk, which left some business owners in the lurch during the unusual drop in temperatures from January 3 to 16 this year.

Luckily, Palm Beach County and Broward County are included in the Small Business Administration (SBA) cold weather disaster declaration for the January 3 to 16 period. The declaration provides working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, nonprofit organizations of all sizes to meet obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. The deadline for filing an application for such a loan is December 20, 2012.

"This disaster declaration from SBA means that small businesses and those in the agricultural industry impacted by January's cold weather can apply for low interest loans to help recover from losses," said Chuck Lanza, director of the Broward County Emergency Management Division.

Businesses affected by the severe weather may borrow up to $2 million at a maximum interest of four percent to help alleviate the expense of the damage. The actual amount of each loan is limited to the economic injury determined by the SBA. Only uninsured or otherwise uncompensated disaster losses are eligible.

For more information, call SBA's Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email [email protected], or visit SBA's website, www.sba.gov.