TL;DR: The President declared a major disaster for Wisconsin as FEMA-4949-DR on October 7, 2026, for severe storms and tornadoes on July 27, 2026, opening SBA physical and economic injury loans in four primary counties with deadlines of December 7, 2026, and July 7, 2027.

The newest verified action is publication of the implementing Small Business Administration notice in the Federal Register on October 14, 2026, as Document 2026-20977 on pages 65286-65287 of volume 91, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

What the October 7 declaration covers

The Presidential declaration is identified as FEMA-4949-DR and was dated October 7, 2026, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The incident cited in the declaration is Severe Storms and Tornadoes, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The incident period is listed as July 27, 2026, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The SBA administrative handling for the event uses Disaster Declaration #21954 and #21955 and WISCONSIN Disaster Number WI-20010, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The physical damage number assigned is 21954B and the economic injury number is 219550, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The Federal Register citation for the SBA notice is 91 FR 65286, and the document number is 2026-20977, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The notice is listed as a Notice from the U.S. Small Business Administration, issued on October 7, 2026, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The authority cited is 13 CFR 123.3(b), and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 59008, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The notice was signed by James Stallings, Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Recovery, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

A separate FEMA-data summary describes the same event as DR-4949-WI, also written FEMA-4949-DR, declared October 7, 2026, for Severe Storms and Tornadoes with an incident period of July 27, 2026 to July 27, 2026, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

That FEMA-data summary states the declaration covers four designated areas and lists programs declared as Individuals and Households and Public Assistance, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The same summary places the declaration in FEMA Region 5 and describes it as the second of two major disaster declarations for Wisconsin in 2026, with status open and not yet closed out by FEMA, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The OpenFEMA-based figures in that summary are described as data as of October 9, 2026, and the summary states FEMA has published no assistance totals for this declaration, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

Which Wisconsin counties can seek both physical and economic injury SBA loans

The SBA notice determines four counties to be adversely affected and eligible as primary counties for both physical damage and economic injury loans, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Forest County is listed as a primary county for physical damage and economic injury loans, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Outagamie County is listed as a primary county for physical damage and economic injury loans, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Vilas County is listed as a primary county for physical damage and economic injury loans, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Winnebago County is listed as a primary county for physical damage and economic injury loans, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Households and businesses in those four primary counties with losses tied to the July 27, 2026 storms and tornadoes fall inside the SBA loan window described in the notice, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The FEMA-data summary separately lists Forest County with Individuals and Households assistance marked Yes, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The FEMA-data summary separately lists Outagamie County with Individuals and Households assistance marked Yes, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The FEMA-data summary separately lists Vilas County with Individuals and Households assistance marked Yes and Public Assistance marked Yes, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The FEMA-data summary separately lists Winnebago County with Individuals and Households assistance marked Yes and Public Assistance marked Yes, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The same table shows Hazard Mitigation blank for all four counties, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

Which neighboring counties can seek economic injury loans only

The SBA notice lists contiguous counties as eligible for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Brown County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Calumet County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Florence County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Green Lake County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Iron County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Langlade County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Marinette County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Oconto County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Oneida County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Price County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Shawano County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Waupaca County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, Waushara County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Michigan, Gogebic County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

In Michigan, Iron County is listed as a contiguous county for economic injury loans only, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

SBA deadlines households and businesses must meet

The physical loan application deadline date is December 7, 2026, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The economic injury, or EIDL, loan application deadline date is July 7, 2027, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The FEMA-data summary lists December 7, 2026, as the registration deadline for individual help under the Individuals and Households program, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The FEMA-data summary directs people in a designated area with Individuals and Households assistance to apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362 until December 7, 2026, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

The same summary identifies FEMA's own page for this declaration as fema.gov/disaster/4949, according to the Areazine page titled DR-4949-WI: Wisconsin tornado, declared October 7, 2026.

How to file an SBA disaster loan

Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov or in person at other locally announced locations, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The notice provides the MySBA Loan Portal address as https://lending.sba.gov for applying for a disaster assistance loan, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For further assistance, the notice directs applicants to contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service center by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-800-659-2955, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Applicants who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability are directed to dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

The notice names Robert Camacho, Office of Disaster Recovery, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW, Suite 6050, Washington, DC 20416, telephone (202) 205-6734, as the further-information contact, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

What interest rates apply to SBA disaster loans

For physical damage, the rate for homeowners with credit available elsewhere is 5.750 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For physical damage, the rate for homeowners without credit available elsewhere is 2.875 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For physical damage, the rate for businesses without credit available elsewhere is 4.000 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For physical damage, the rate for private nonprofit organizations with credit available elsewhere is 3.625 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For physical damage, the rate for private nonprofit organizations without credit available elsewhere is 3.625 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For economic injury, the rate for business and small agricultural cooperatives without credit available elsewhere is 4.000 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

For economic injury, the rate for private nonprofit organizations without credit available elsewhere is 3.625 percent, according to the Federal Register notice titled Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the State of Wisconsin.

Sources referenced