Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the U.S. Small Business Administration will offer federal assistance to New Yorkers in Lewis County who were impacted by severe weather events on August 18-19, 2024 that resulted in significant damages to businesses and homes. Residents and businesses in Lewis County are now eligible to apply for low-interest loans to aid in their recovery from this event. Online applications are available here through the MySBA Loan Portal. An in-person location for loan applications will be established in the coming days.

“When extreme weather hits New York, we will always be there to help our communities recover,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m thankful to the Biden-Harris administration and our federal partners for making this assistance available to residents and business owners in Lewis County.”

The federal Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act authorizes the SBA to simplify the process for a governor to request an SBA disaster declaration in rural counties. Under this program, an SBA declaration can be made with only one damaged property in a rural area when the county has received a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance, but not Individual Assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration determined Lewis County was eligible and will make low interest loans available to businesses and impacted individuals.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Access to these low-interest loans will help families and businesses get the help they need to return to normal following the devastating storms this summer. We truly appreciate the support of our federal partners.”

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, “In August, homes and small businesses across Lewis County suffered immense flood damage due to severe weather. Now, homeowners, renters and small business owners can access U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest loans to recover from the storms, make critical repairs and replace destroyed property. I will continue to fight to help get people back on their feet following this devastating storm, and help Lewis County and the North Country rebuild stronger.”

The following groups in Lewis County may now be eligible for 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 $2,000,000 for the replacement of real property, inventories, machinery, equipment, and other physical losses.
• Businesses and non-profits: Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2,000,000 to provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after a disaster.

Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or email [email protected]. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, can dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, located at 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Feb. 18, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Sept. 22, 2025.