State Announces Grants Up To $25,000 Available For Flood-Damaged Businesses

SEYMOUR – State officials announced on Monday (Aug. 26) a new program that will award grants of up to $25,000 to small business owners who were impacted by the floods on Aug. 18.

In a press conference at Klarides Village on Route 67 in Seymour, Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe announced that applications for the grant will open on Sept. 3. 

State officials toured Klarides Village prior to the press conference. The commercial plaza suffered heavy damages during the Aug. 18 floods, with businesses including Route 67 Diner, Woodland Wine & Liquor, and Seymour Nails & Spa taking near-total damage from the floodwaters.

The grant program has $5 million available.

The grants are eligible to businesses in Fairfield County, Litchfield County, and New Haven County that have fewer than 100 employees and experienced damage from the floods, according to a press release.

“The program will be administered on behalf of DECD by the WBDC, a nonprofit organization based in Fairfield County that works to support business growth and job creation statewide,” according to a statement.

The $25,000 grant program will begin accepting applications on Sept. 3 when the WBDC launches an application process. Check their website, linked above, for updates.

“Applicants will be required to provide detailed descriptions of how their businesses were impacted and include photos, receipts, invoices, and estimates where applicable,” according to the press release.

For questions, contact decdctrecovery@ct.gov.

This money is different than federal funding. Gov. Ned Lamont said the grants are aimed at helping businesses while the state continues to seek federal assistance.

Federal disaster assistance is complicated.

The first step is to get a ​“federal emergency declaration.” 

The state received that declaration last Wednesday (Aug. 21). It allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to aid in emergency repairs – things that ​“protect lives and property,” according to a press release from Lamont’s office.

Next, the state hopes to get a ​“major disaster declaration” from FEMA. That declaration would allow the federal government to provide financial assistance to uninsured homeowners and business owners.

In order to get the major disaster declaration, the state must prove that the damages exceed a certain financial threshold.

That’s why the state is asking the public to report damage. Damage assessments are currently underway and are expected to continue for several weeks, according to Lamont’s office. 

Local and state officials encouraged residents and business owners to report their damages. They said that the data is crucial to getting federal aid awarded.

“Please continue to report your damages. We need that data,” said Bill Turner, the state’s emergency management director. ​“Reach out to your local emergency management office. Report your damages, because we need that to be able to tell our story to get that declaration.”

Property owners can report flood damage to the state by filling out this survey. Residents can also call the Seymour Department of Emergency Management at 203 888 2511.

O’Keefe described the state’s new program for businesses as stopgap funding designed to help business owners get started on the road to recovery. Gov. Ned Lamont, who also spoke at the conference, said the money should help tide business owners over until a major disaster declaration is received.

“It (federal aid) takes a little while, and we don’t have a little while,” Lamont said.

Teams from FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) are expected to arrive to survey damages later this week.

Volunteer efforts are continuing for the cleanup in Klarides Village. Volunteers were active removing destroyed inventory from Woodland Wine & Liquor as state officials toured the damage prior to the press conference.

Lamont, when asked whether the state planned to mobilize the National Guard to aid in the cleanup, pointed to the work being done by the Connecticut Department of Transportation on state roads, and said that the Guard could be activated if requested by town officials. 

“If that mayors need additional help, say the Connecticut Guard, we’ll be right here to stand with them,” Lamont said.

Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said that the town currently knew of at least $700,000 in damages, but that that number will go up as more damage is reported.

The Valley Indy asked whether the state government was also planning to release funding to uninsured homeowners affected by the flood. A reporter was redirected to the Department of Housing, which did not immediately return a phone call or email on Aug. 26.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Connecticut’s federal delegation will be working to get money to improve climate resilience as businesses rebuild. Blumenthal, who described the flood as ​“biblical,” said that floods of this severity have become more frequent in recent years.

“Simply replacing and repairing what was there ain’t gonna cut it. Back to normal is not enough. We know that the thousand-year floods are coming every five years, ten years,” Blumenthal said.

Click this link for a list of local GoFundMe pages set up by people with damages properties.