Maine businesses and nonprofit organizations that suffered economic losses because of heavy rain and colder-than-normal temperatures in May are now eligible for federal disaster loans.
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the availability of the loans Tuesday, citing the high volume of moisture — some areas got over 3 inches of rain in a single day — and prolonged below-average temperatures that caused an unseasonably chilly Memorial Day weekend.
The disaster declaration applies to every Maine county, and the loans are available for eligible small businesses, agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofits. Eligible groups can use the loans for debts, payroll and other bills that went unpaid because of the weather.
The SBA is unable to provide loans for agricultural producers, farmers and ranchers, the agency said in a news release, but it can accommodate aquaculture enterprises.
The wacky weather that rolled through in May started with rainstorms that swept the region throughout the first full week of the month, often alternating between light drizzles and sudden downpours.
On May 10, Portland recorded 2.3 inches of rain — the area’s highest single-day total in May since 2006. There were several reports of more than 3 inches of rain that day in the Midcoast region.
The following week, things dried out and heated up, with summerlike temperatures that reached into the 70s and, in some places, the low 80s.
Then, for Memorial Day weekend — the traditional start to summer and Maine’s tourist season — temperatures plummeted back down into the 40s thanks to a rare spring nor’easter.
Disaster loans available for Maine businesses hurt by May downpours, cold spell
