ST. LOUIS (AP) – Missouri’s U.S. senators are asking Gov. Jay Nixon to seek federal help for businesses damaged during violent protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old.

In a letter to Nixon Friday, U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt say businesses in Ferguson have “suffered significant physical damage” during days of civil unrest following the death of Michael Brown. They say many of those businesses are struggling to recover.

The senators want Nixon to consider seeking a Small Business Administration disaster declaration. The declaration would give affected businesses access to low-interest loans.

To receive the declaration, the state must certify that a certain number of businesses have suffered economic loss.

A QuikTrip store was burned during protests over Brown’s killing by a white police officer. Other businesses also were damaged.