Small businesses and private nonprofit organizations impacted by Florida’s seasonal drought in April are being urged to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to help deal with losses.

The U.S. Small Business Administration ( SBA ) has set Jan. 5 as the deadline for the drought relief applications. The drought was so severe in April that there was a federal disaster declaration in more than a dozen Florida counties, including, Alachua, Brevard, Flagler, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia.

The Florida Climate Center at Florida State University found that 17% of the state was in “extreme drought” in April. Another 30% of the state was in “severe drought” at the time.

“Many locations in the Peninsula saw one o

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