Governor Ned Lamont announced approval of a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster declaration for Fairfield County and the contiguous counties of New Haven and Litchfield in Connecticut following flash flooding on September 13, 2026. The declaration enables homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits in the affected areas to apply for low-interest loans to aid recovery.
The SBA disaster declaration was approved following assessments by SBA, state, and local officials that determined the storm damage exceeded the criteria necessary to qualify for federal assistance. Governor Lamont had submitted the request immediately after the joint assessments.
Eligible homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 to repair primary residences, while homeowners and renters can borrow up to $100,000 to repair or replace personal property. Business owners can access up to $2 million for replacement of real property, inventories, machinery, and equipment. Businesses and nonprofits can also apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to provide working capital until normal operations resume.
The application deadline for physical damage loans is December 1, 2026, and the deadline for economic injury loans is July 2, 2027. A temporary SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center opened at the Margaret E. Morton Government Center in Bridgeport on October 7, 2026, operating Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Applicants can also submit applications online through the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov or contact the SBA's Customer Service Center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or 1-800-659-2955.