HARTFORD–The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued a disaster declaration for Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties to help communities recover from the flash flooding that struck the region on Sept. 13, Governor Ned Lamont announced today.

The approved declaration means that homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits in the impacted counties can apply for low-interest loans from the SBA to help with their recovery.

“I am glad that we’ve been able to secure this funding and encourage anyone who was impacted by this storm to look into this assistance and determine whether it can help you in the recovery process,” Lamont said in the release.

The Norwalk-Westport area was hardest hit by the storm that caused the flooding, the state reported on the day it struck. Six to seven inches of rain flooded streets and damaged Westport’s Jesup Road Bridge so badly that, according to the Department of Public Works, it needs to be replaced. 

Westport emergency responders rescued 13 people trapped in vehicles by floodwaters during the flooding. 

Lamont had urged the SBA to make the declaration immediately after joint assessments by the SBA, state and local officials determined that the damage from the storm exceeds the criteria necessary to qualify, his office said in a release.

The following groups may be eligible for low-interest SBA disaster loans:

• Homeowners: Up to $500,000 to repair their primary residence.
• Homeowners and renters: Up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
• Business owners: Up to $2 million for the replacement of real property, inventories, machinery, equipment, and other physical losses.
• Businesses and nonprofits: Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after a disaster.

 “We know there are people with uninsured losses,” Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins said in the release. “These low-interest SBA loans are a means for people to rebuild and recover from the flooding. Additionally, our Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster—independent faith-based and nonprofit groups—remain engaged in helping people needing cleanup.”

How to apply for low-interest SBA disaster loans

Under this declaration, the application deadline for physical damage loans is Dec. 1. and the application deadline for economic injury loans is July 2, 2027.

Applications may be submitted to the SBA in the following ways:

• In-person: A temporary, in-person SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open tomorrow at the Margaret E. Morton Government Center at 999 Broad Street in Bridgeport.

• It will operate Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays.
• Due to prior engagements, it will close early on three days, at 2 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 4 p.m. on Oct. 20 and 21.
• It will be closed on Oct. 12 for the Columbus Day holiday.
• It is expected to close permanently at 4 p.m. Oct. 21.
• Online: The MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov provides applicants with the ability submit applications online, view loan details, check balances, make payments and access statements.

For further assistance, contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.