Governor Kathy Hochul has secured a Physical Disaster Declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration for Queens County and the contiguous counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York and Richmond following severe flooding that resulted from storms that passed through the area on May 20, 2026. Following this event, staff from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, New York City Emergency Management and the Small Business Administration conducted an in-person assessment of the damage which revealed major damage to 33 homes and 4 businesses.
“Flooding can be devastating and my heart goes out to those impacted by this severe weather,” Governor Hochul said. “We are fighting for every available resource to ensure the people of Queens can recover and rebuild, and this designation is vital to helping impacted homeowners, renters and business owners in this area.”
The following groups may 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 nonprofits: Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2,000,000 to provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after a disaster.
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Terry O’Leary said, “The impact of this storm was dramatic for Queens, and this declaration will allow access to critical funding for homeowners and business owners to further help their recovery. I thank Governor Hochul for immediately pursuing this declaration and making this assistance available to all those impacted. I would also like to thank our partners at the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the SBA for their efforts immediately following the storm.”…