SBA Disaster Loans Readme Updated April 2019 This update contains information on 1,222,316 loans from October 1987 through July 31, 2018. This update replaces a previous version of the data that covered 1979 through February 2016. The data was not combined due to lack of a unique ID number that prevented checks for duplicate records. For previous data, please contact the Data Library at datalib@ire.org NICAR receives this data directly from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) via FOIA request, and makes it available to IRE members for free. The data is provided as is: we do not clean or reformat the data in any way. All we do is rename the tables in Access. We have also downloaded the tables to a CSV format. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) data for disaster loans includes one primary table: DISASTER. It includes disaster loans that have been approved — although not necessarily fully distributed — for businesses and individuals in the wake of emergencies. In addition to this Readme file, this download includes: SBA_Disaster folder, which includes these tables: Disaster: Table of companies and individuals receiving disaster loans Dislook: Lookup table to decipher which specific disaster is associated with the loan SIC_Codes: Lookup table of Standard Industry Classification (SIC) codes NAIC_Codes: Lookup table of North American Industrial Classification codes [You can download code conversions (SIC TO NAICS and vice versa) here: http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/concordances/concordances.html] layouts.xls: layout for Disaster and Dislook NAICS_to_SIC_Cross_Reference: Reference to compare SIC to NAICS codes sent by SBA with data release FORMS folder: pdf files of instructions and forms that potential borrowers must file Table of Declaration Code: codes of type of disaster in the field Disaster Type in DISLOOK A few words of caution: Please note that the address fields in the DISASTER table contain the MAILING ADDRESS of the borrower, not the LOCATION OF THE DAMAGED PROPERTY. In most cases the mailing address will be the same as the damaged property address, especially among INDIVIDUALS who received disaster loans. However, most of the mailing addresses for the BUSINESS LOANS will not be the same as the damaged property address. For example, if a rental property were to be damaged in a flood, the mailing address of the owner would be recorded in the database. In fact, many times the mailing address will be in a different state from the damaged property address. To find out the damaged property locations you can contact the SBA regional office nearest you. There are telephone numbers on the SBA's web site at http://sba.gov/localresources/index.html (as of 03/16). Disasters that influenced multiple states have multiple “Disaster_Nbr”s since they are declared separately. So be sure to find all Disaster_Nbrs for whatever Disaster_name that you want to look at. For example, Disaster_Nbr 101768 refers to Hurricane Katrina. However, if you search for Disaster_name Hurricane Katrina in the table “Dislook”, you will also find Disaster_Nbr 101788, 101808, 101988 and 102001. A few disaster numbers have duplicate records in Dislook, which can lead to duplicate loan records is Disaster when you join the tables: 13547B, 15142B, 15143B, 15144B, 15145B. Note: This occurs only if the program you are using trims whitespace automatically. Otherwise, there may be fewer duplicates. There are quite a few data-entry errors and inconsistencies in these tables. The name field, for example, has many variations. Most of the time it is FIRST MIDDLE LAST SUFFIX, but there is also LAST, MIDDLE FIRST and LAST, FIRST MIDDLE, and when it is more than one person (such as families and couples) it gets even more difficult. There are also a few records with strange characters in them. To be on the safe side, it is best to cast a wide net when querying for names, using your software program's wildcard functions. These cautions also apply to the CITY field. The main table, DISASTER, contains several thousand records where the disaster number code has no match in the DISLOOK table. There are 3,044 records without a match in DISLOOK. Most of these non-matches are for disasters in the 1980s. More than half (1,749) are from the Chicago Flood (228806). 566 loans since 2015 have no match in DISLOOK. The DISASTER table includes all loans that were approved for disaster assistance, but sometimes the loans are not fully dispersed. According to the SBA, borrowers occasionally decide not to accept the entire loan after getting an installment or two. For the last 20 years, these loans have been dispersed in a series of payments, rather than one lump payment, partly to deter fraud. The SBA's Gerald Fico says: "We generally disperse as construction and repairs are made - not all at once." One last note: There are some loans in excess of $1 million and even a few larger than $20 million. According to the SBA, these are accurate, so don't panic when you see these huge amounts. If the company is considered a major source of employment, then the SBA can waive the standard limit of $1.5 million. Starting in 2001, SBA completely replaced SIC codes with NAICS codes.NAICS are revised every five years. The latest update was made in 2017. Loans made in 2007 are supposed to use 2007 NAICS codes; While some disaster records before 2001 contain both codes. Note: only business disaster loans are assigned NAICS codes. Included on the CD-ROM is a lookup table of SIC codes, a lookup table of NAICS codes and a lookup table listing many SIC and NAICS code conversions. However, we caution the user that it seems incomplete. The NAICS table seems a better choice to use most of the time. Journalists interested in comparing NAICS codes to NAICS or SIC codes from different years can find reference tables included along with the data tables, or at http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/concordances/concordances.html. In January of 2005, the SBA began incorporating a new recording system for disaster numbers and types. Details of the changes and how they affect the database can be found in the readme file accompanying the main lookup table. Note: For individuals, the SBA refuses to release information on a loan's status under the Freedom of Information Act. Thus, the PIF and CHGOFF fields are blank for individuals. Moreover, there are other categories for a loan's status, including current, delinquent and liquidated. The SBA refuses to provide this information for both individuals and businesses under the Freedom of Information Act. Disaster Type Codes tested on 11/16/2004 and used after 01/19/2005 (NICAR note: Some 2005 disaster declarations after Jan. 19, 2005, used these codes as well) 0 - EIDL 1 - DEPT OF AG (FSA) EIDL 2 - EARTHQUAKE 4 - EXPLOSIONS (WITH OR WITHOUT FIRES) 5 - FIRES 6 - FLOODS 7 - FREEZES 8 - HURRICANES 9 - LANDSLIDES, MUDSLIDES, AVALANCHES B - STORMS C - TORNADOES D - VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS E - OTHER: NATURAL F - OTHER: MANMADE U - UNKNOWN In the most recent release there were no entries marked by a D because there probably haven't been any volcanic eruptions since Mt. St. Helens, Alan Escobar from the SBA said. Disaster Type Codes used prior to 11/16/2004 02 - Earthquakes 04 - Explosions (with or without fire) 05 - Fires 06 - Floods - includes flooding along large rivers, and flash floods 07 - Freezes 08 - Hurricanes 09 - Landslides (mudslides, avalanches) 11 - Storms - not classified as hurricanes or tornadoes 12 - Tornadoes 13 - Volcanic Eruptions 14 - Other: Natural 15 - Other: Manmade 00 - EIDL 01 - SecAg BASIC FACTS ABOUT SBA DISASTER LOANS: SBA's disaster loans are the primary form of federal assistance for non-farm, private-sector disaster losses. For this reason, the disaster loans program is the only form of SBA assistance not limited to small businesses. Disaster loans from SBA help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations finance their rebuilding. The loans, which are repaid to the Treasury, are provided at low-interest rates, for long terms (up to 30 years) and have tailored repayment schedules befitting each borrower's financial capability. There are two types of disaster loans: Physical disaster loans and economic injury disaster loans. Physical disaster loans are a primary source of funding for permanent rebuilding and replacement of uninsured disaster damages to privately owned real and/or personal property. Economic injury disaster loans provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after a physical disaster (these are restricted to businesses only). OTHER RESOURCES FROM IRE/NICAR Check out the following stories that used SBA disaster loan data: *22663: New York Daily News reporters examined in detail the $21.4 billion President Bush promised New Yorkers and New York businesses to help recover from the World Trade Center disaster. One of the multitude of sources used in the story was SBA disaster loan data. (Russ Buettner, Heidi Evans, Robert Gearty, Brian Kates and Greg B. Smith: 2005) *22547: The federal government's $5 billion effort to help small businesses recover from the Sept 11 attacks was so loosely managed that it gave low-interest loans to companies that didn't need terrorism relief - or even know they were getting it. Written by Frank Bass and Dirk Lammers for the Associated Press in 2005. *16808: In March 2000, two tornadoes hit the Fort Worth, Texas area, killing five people and causing an estimated $450 million in damage. President Clinton declared the area a national disaster, allowing victims to apply for federal assistance. But less than 20 percent of those who sought loans from the SBA and the Federal Emergency Management Area obtained them, according to an analysis by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Those who needed help the most received the least, the paper found. *16655: Also in 2000, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported how the federal government has used taxpayer dollars to subsidize an unprecedented construction boom along America's shores, on very risky real estate. The paper analyzed disaster payments and municipal tax rates to show that most money goes to some of the wealthiest towns in the nation. Taxpayers are footing the bill to repair roads, buildings, utilities — even golf courses and marinas — and other things public officials had chosen not to insure. *16986: An investigation by the Kansas City Star’s David Kesmodel in 2000 revealed that the Small Business Administration gave most of its government-guaranteed loans to firms located in middle- and high-income areas. The paper discovered that minority-owned businesses received less than 15 percent of the SBA loans, despite efforts by the administration to target minority owners. And these TIPSHEETS deal with covering disasters: *3700: By Jaimi Dowdell of IRE, 2012. Learn tips about how to successfully report on breaking news and cover disasters. *3603: Jaimi Dowdell offers step by step instruction on how to cover big disasters and quick-hit stories. She also includes many helpful database links such as OSHA, EPA, and FAA.(2011) *3040: At the 2008 Houston CAR Conference, Brad Heath of USA Today lists and describes different federal programs that provide financial assistance after a natural disaster. He discusses where to get records of each program's spending, and how to best incorporate that information into a CAR story. Heath also describes the programs used by federal agencies to run simulations and assess potential damage; most of those programs are available for free and could be useful for reporters covering a recent disaster. *2649: This tipsheet is comprised of slides from Ron Nixon's power point presentation on covering natural disasters at the 2006 Car Conference in Newark NJ. The slides cover information about SBA disaster loans, federal contracts and other data. Nixon included examples of recent stories that used each type of data. *2624: Russ Buettner walks us through how Newsday's story about the federal money given to New York after 9/11 was done. He discusses the agencies he investigated and the sorts of data he analyzed to find out where the money was going. The data he discusses includes contract data, grant data, SBA Disaster Loans, and FEMA grants. Buettner discusses how he found and used each type of data. CAR_2006_Newark_NJ Russ Buettner 2006 *2284. Disasters: Using Data to Cover Wildland Fires, Hurricanes, and Earthquakes. The four hurricanes that battered Florida in 2004 made for one of the most remarkable, memorable, and costly hurricane seasons in history. John Maines has suggestions and resources for reporters covering emergency situations, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to private companies who provide images of destruction for free. From the 2005 CAR Conference. *2235. Investigating natural and manmade disasters. Gilbert Gaul of the Washington Post outlines approaches to analyzing Federal Emergency Management Administration records to show "how the breathless coverage of storms greases the skids for disaster declarations." Tips include tracking how, where and to whom FEMA dollars are allocated following a disaster, whether National Flood Insurance Program premiums are covering expenses, and who are receiving Small Business Administration loans following a disaster. From the 2004 CAR Conference. Stories can be obtained from the IRE Resource Center, http://www.ire.org/resourcecenter/ or 573-882-3364. Tipsheets can be downloaded directly by clicking on the number in the search table, then clicking on the pdf at the bottom of the expanded summary page.