Agencies

Oklahoma Survivors Can Apply for SBA Loans

Published: 16 June 2025
Categories: FEMA News

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

OKLAHOMA CITY – Businesses and residents in seven Oklahoma counties impacted by the March 14-21 wildfires and straight-line winds are eligible to apply for low-interest disaster assistance loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

FEMA partners with other agencies to meet the needs of survivors after a disaster, and SBA loans are the largest source of federal recovery funds. Residents and businesses in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee and Payne counties can apply for these loans if they sustained property damage.

Affected homeowners, renters and businesses do not need to wait for an insurance settlement before submitting an SBA loan application – and are under no obligation to accept an SBA loan if an application is approved.Residents can still apply for an SBA loan if they received assistance from FEMA.

Interest rates can be as low as 4 percent for businesses, 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 2.688 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.

Homeowners may be eligible for a disaster loan of up to $500,000 for primary residence repairs or

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Change in Disaster Recovery Center Hours in South Texas

Published: 16 June 2025
Categories: FEMA News

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

AUSTIN – In coordination with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have been staffing Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to offer face-to-face help to residents of the four South Texas counties affected by the severe storms and flooding that occurred March 26-28, 2025.

Starting Saturday, June 21, new weekend hours of operation for all seven DRCs are:

Saturdays: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sundays: Closed

Weekday hours remain the same: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

All DRCs will be closed for the Juneteenth Holiday (Thursday, June 19); and reopen on Friday, June 20, at 8 a.m.

Homeowners and renters in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties may be eligible for FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance.

FEMA and SBA support state-led recovery efforts at the recovery centers. Staff can help survivors apply for federal assistance. They can also identify potential needs and connect survivors with local, state and federal agencies, as well as nonprofits and community groups. 

The list of DRCs by county is as follows:

Cameron County

San Benito Parks and Recreation Building

705 N Bowie St.

San Benito, TX

Harlingen Convention Center

701 Harlingen Heights

Harlingen, TX 78552

Hidalgo County

Las Palmas Community Center

1921 N. 25th St.  

McAllen, TX  

Pharr Development & Research Center  

850 W. Dicker Rd  

Pharr, TX

Weslaco EDC

275 S. Kansas Ave.

Weslaco, TX 78596

Starr County

Starr County Courthouse Annex

100 N FM 3167

Rio Grande City, TX 78582

Willacy County

Sebastian Community Center

434

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Researchers discover microplastics at all ocean depths

Published: 16 June 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Researchers with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation published a global benchmark of microplastic distribution in the ocean, revealing thousands of plastic specks even at the extreme depths of the Mariana Trench.

The study’s findings show that not only could fisheries take an economic hit, but humans could be at risk for exposure to contaminated seafood.

The team synthesized data from nearly 2,000 ocean sampling stations, mostly in northern ocean waters near larger populations between 2014 and 2024. “The discovery that microplastics are not just floating on the sea surface but also form a plastic smog, throughout the depths of the ocean, was surprising and concerning,” said Aron Stubbins, an author on the paper and professor at Northeastern University.

Abundant microplastic materials smaller than 5 micrometers — or about 100 times less than the width of a human hair — may be eaten by zooplankton, which in turn feed larger marine animals. Microplastics can disrupt marine food chains, causing health declines and potential drops in populations for fish and other marine creatures.

“Even when we are studying what we think of as completely natural processes in the ocean, we have to be aware of humankind’s influence,” said Henrietta Edmonds, an NSF program director.

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Light from dawn of the universe observed by Earth-based telescopes

Published: 16 June 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

For the first time, scientists have used Earth-based telescopes funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to look back over 13 billion years and measure how the first stars in the universe affected light emitted from the Big Bang. Using the NSF Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (NSF CLASS) telescopes in northern Chile, astrophysicists have measured this polarized microwave light to create a clearer picture of one of the least understood epochs in the history of the universe, the cosmic dawn.

The NSF CLASS telescopes are uniquely designed to detect the large-scale fingerprints left by the first stars in the relic Big Bang light — a feat that previously had only been accomplished by instruments in space. The findings will help better define signals coming from the residual glow of the Big Bang, or the cosmic microwave background, and form a clearer picture of the early universe. The research is led by Johns Hopkins University and The University of Chicago and published in The Astrophysical Journal.

“No other ground-based experiment can do what NSF CLASS is doing,” says Nigel Sharp, program director in the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences, which has supported NSF CLASS for over 15 years. “The CLASS team has greatly improved measurement of the cosmic microwave polarization signal, and this impressive leap forward is a testament to the scientific value produced by

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