Key Points

  • Gov’t money IS available for May 20 flood damages (loan, not grant)

  • Amounts up to $100K for renter, $500K for homeowner, $2M for small biz

  • Beyond damages, you can get an extra 20% to put to mitigation

  • Note the Aug 31 deadline, more detail below

Can’t Afford To Wait

Big city projects are happening, but they cost a lot and take many years.

In the meantime, NYC homeowners can’t afford to wait as storms get more intense and flooding increases. What are their options, costs, decisions? How get to a solution?

Join us for a live online discussion with NYC homeowners and experts on what they can do about flooding - and how the city can help and keep housing affordable.

» Thursday July 23, 12-1pm online. Click here or image below.

Practical info, not just complaining. Guests include:

  • a homeowner in SE Queens where flooding happens often

  • a “hands-on” expert who installs flooding solutions for homes

  • a local bank executive who oversees loans and state grants

  • a community leader focussed on accelerating micro-mitigation

  • a policy expert with an honest look at flood insurance

Grab lunch and join us. Register for link.

Co-hosted by Rebuild By Design, Waterfront Alliance, The City Sponge, with support from Con Edison.

Money for May Flood

Back On May 20th

NYC saw heavy rain (“cloudburst”) and flooding especially in Queens and Brooklyn. It wasn’t so much the total amount of rain, but more about the rate at which the rain came down in certain areas (Hollis, Flatbush). (Related story)

To Help You Remember…

» We curated a compilation of May 20 NYC flooding on IG, click here.

Fast Forward A Few Months

In July, you may have seen this text pop up from Notify NYC (another reason to sign up) and the info they sent about “SBA Disaster Declaration” assistance funds.

Link to NYC May 20 Page

Well it turns out that the May flooding in NYC generated enough flood damage reports to unlock federal funds and those funds are NOW available to anyone in the city who had flood damages.

[ The key is “damage reports”…we will come back to that later…but first the money part. ]

What Help Is Available?

If you were affected by the May 2026 storm, federal SBA disaster loans may include:

  • Homeowners: Up to $500,000 to repair or replace a primary residence, plus up to $100,000 for personal property.

  • Renters: Up to $100,000 for damaged personal belongings.

  • Businesses: Up to $2 million for physical damage and eligible Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

[ Note: we double-checked these numbers as they seemed HIGH. But they are accurate. The SBA permanently increased its maximum disaster loan caps to reflect modern rebuilding and recovery costs. ]

Understand This

  • They are not grants: These are low-interest federal loans that must be paid back over time. They are not subject to loan forgiveness.

  • Based on actual losses: You cannot simply borrow the maximum amount; the SBA will verify your actual physical or economic damage to determine your specific loan distribution.

  • Mitigation bonus: Borrowers can potentially request an extra 20% on top of their physical damage total to fund preventative measures against future flooding (such as grading or moving utilities). This could be your solution money to prevent damage next time!

We Talked To Someone Who Did This

A small business owner in Brooklyn went through this process a few years ago and here is what she had to say:

❝

“I applied for an SBA Physical Disaster loan through the portal and I do remember that it was a lot simpler than filling out the disaster application form that NYC gave us!

I didn't hear back from them right away…but then I called and got someone on the phone and he followed up with me until the loan was issued. So I'm not sure if I just got lucky or if most of their loan officers are that efficient.

I don't remember the exact amount of time but it was maybe like 2 - 3 months? I thought that was good.

They determined the loan amount based on the damage. Whoever did the assessment on their part assessed it pretty high, higher than I expected, but I was happy to get the full amount because I needed it to keep my business afloat. It's a 30 year loan and I have been paying the monthly payments ever since!”

~ Small business owner in Flatbush area

How To Apply

Online

In Person

Visit the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center (until July 21)

73-03 Bell Boulevard
Oakland Gardens, Queens (map link)

M/W/F: 9-5pm and Tues/Thurs 9-7pm

Email / Phone

[email protected] or 1-800-659-2955

Deadline

  • Physical Damage Loans: August 31, 2026

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): March 30, 2027

Report Flooding To Unlock Funding

When a major flood hits New York City, federal disaster assistance isn't automatic. Someone has to "unlock" it. That someone could be you….

Because enough people reported damage after that May storm, that unlocking process worked and now federal money is available.

How’d That Work?

To receive an SBA Administrative Disaster Declaration, the federal government generally requires evidence that at least 25 homes or businesses in a single county have suffered 40% or more in uninsured losses.

Back in May, enough residents reported flood impacts through the NYC Damage Assessment Portal: https://reportdamage.nyc.gov

It looks like this:

And there are different pathways depending on who you are:

For the May NYC storm, that threshold was met in Queens, where inspections confirmed major damage to 33 homes and four businesses. Once Queens qualified, assistance also became available to neighboring counties including all NYC counties.

In other words, one report will not unlock federal aid…but even 30-50 reports together can.

❝

“Thanks for reporting your damage Queens!” 😅

New York City residents

Why May Flood Qualified...But Not October

We wondered why assistance became available after the May 2026 flooding but not after the October 2025 storms (also pretty big).

The difference: the amount of verified damage (not the water amount).

According to city officials we spoke to, the October event did not produce enough properties in any single county to meet the SBA's damage threshold.

[ 🫳 🎤 ↓ ]

Bottom Line

We know people get tired of hearing “call 311” or “fill out this form.” Get it! But reporting and data DOES help …even if sometimes you feel like it doesn’t do anything (over time it can). The data helps officials see damage, prioritize work, and as we see here, unlock money federal disaster assistance for all of us. Water connects us!

More Info

PS

Did you find your flooding solution or looking for one? Reach out (email us)

Renter? Try FloodChat for your flooding questions (35 languages)

Find this useful? Please tell your block association or neighbors about The City Sponge.

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