Freeport Merchants Association Connects Storm-Damaged Businesses to State Emergency Loans
Freeport’s business community now has a road map for Hurricane Isaias recovery. The Freeport Merchants Association is connecting storm-damaged businesses with the state’s newly activated emergency bridge loan program — interest-free loans of up to $100,000 with a November 25 application deadline.
The association released a statement in the storm’s wake directing residents and business owners to state and local recovery resources, and encouraging anyone who sustained property damage or economic loss to submit official damage reports so relief agencies can coordinate their response. Isaias made landfall near Destin at approximately 9:30 p.m. on October 9 as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph sustained winds, placing Walton County squarely in the damage zone.
At the center of the announcement is the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, activated by the state’s Department of Commerce and announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis during a Sunday recovery stop in Milton. The state has made $10 million available in short-term, zero-interest loans: up to $100,000 for eligible small businesses and up to $150,000 for agricultural businesses. The merchants association was blunt about the fine print — these are loans, not grants, and they must be repaid. Applications are being accepted online at FloridaJobs.org/DisasterRecovery/EBL through November 25, 2026, or until the program’s funds run out.
For the association, the push is a natural extension of its role in a town where it has spent years organizing merchants. Founded in March 2018 to unite Freeport’s business community, the group counts roughly 200 members and regularly hosts monthly networking gatherings. Beyond pointing owners toward the loan program, the FMA is urging residents to spend their recovery dollars close to home — supporting local businesses that were forced to close or sustained storm damage — and has offered to help promote shops and restaurants as they reopen.
The loans arrive as the broader recovery picture continues to take shape. DeSantis said the state has been approved for a pre-landfall disaster declaration, and that county damage assessments will determine whether the region crosses the threshold for federal individual assistance — one reason officials keep urging every damaged business to file a report. U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis and state Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, meanwhile, warned residents to be wary of unscrupulous contractors and public adjusters going door to door as cleanup continues. For official updates and safety advisories, the merchants association is directing residents to Walton County Emergency Management.
Originally reported by Mid Bay News, with program details from the Tampa Free Press and recovery context from WJHG Newschannel 7. Image: Walton County Sheriff’s Office, via Tampa Free Press.
