When the river began to rise last month in Asheville, North Carolina, Lucious Wilson stood on a nearby hill and watched as his brewery slowly vanished in the floodwaters generated by Hurricane Helene.
“We need help,” he told NBC News this week, standing near the ruins of his business, Wedge Brewery. “We don’t need politics.”
But a key source of federal aid may not be available any time soon for those affected by the recent hurricanes. About 54,000 have applied for low-interest loans from a disaster fund operated by the Small Business Administration, but the money has all dried up.
Biden administration officials are pressuring Congress to return a few weeks early to approve new funds, but it’s unlikely to happen given the focus on the November election, experts say.
That means the applicants would not receive any money until after Congress reconvenes on Nov. 12.