After the Nor’easter: How to Access Federal Funding for Storm Damage on Cape Cod

The nor’easter that moved through southeastern New England this past weekend left a mark on the Outer Cape. Nauset Beach in Orleans saw significant dune erosion. Ryder’s Cove in Chatham flooded. Pleasant Bay took 12-foot tides and sustained pounding surf for two days straight. Wind gusts hit 70 miles per hour and rain totals on the Cape exceeded seven inches in some locations.

The storm is still winding down as of this morning. But for property owners who sustained damage — erosion to dunes and shorelines, flooding of structures, damage to docks and coastal infrastructure — the next few days and weeks are when the decisions that affect your recovery get made. Federal assistance programs exist for exactly this situation, but they are time-sensitive, and the window to access them often closes before most people realize it is open.

Here is what you need to know right now.

Step one: Document everything immediately

Before you repair or remove anything, document the damage thoroughly. This is not optional — it is the foundation of every federal and insurance claim you may file.

• Photograph and video every area of damage, including surrounding context so the extent is clear
• Note the date and time of each photo
• Document water marks, debris lines, and erosion measurements if you can do so safely
• Keep all receipts for emergency repairs, equipment rentals, or protective measures you take immediately
• If you have prior photos of the property from this summer or earlier, preserve them as baseline comparisons

If you have an existing flood insurance policy through the NFIP or a private insurer, call to report the damage as soon as possible. Most policies require prompt notice, and delays can affect your claim. Given that the NFIP is currently operating under a continuing resolution set to expire September 30th, prompt reporting is even more important right now.

Whether a federal disaster declaration comes matters — a lot

Federal assistance for individual property owners flows primarily through one channel: a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act. When the President declares a disaster for specific counties, FEMA’s Individual Assistance program opens, making grants available for housing repair, temporary housing, and certain uninsured losses.

No declaration has been issued yet for this storm. Whether one will come depends on the damage assessment process that is beginning right now. Here is how it works:

• Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) conducts an initial damage assessment in the days following the storm
• If damage meets federal thresholds, Governor Healey submits a Major Disaster Declaration request to the President
• FEMA then conducts its own joint preliminary damage assessment before the declaration is issued
• This process typically takes weeks to months — the September 2023 storms in Massachusetts took until May 2024 to result in a declaration

What FEMA Individual Assistance actually covers

If a declaration is issued and Barnstable County is included, FEMA Individual Assistance can provide:

• Housing assistance — funds for temporary rental housing or repair of a damaged primary residence
• Other Needs Assistance (ONA) — funds for uninsured losses including personal property, vehicles, moving and storage costs, medical and dental expenses, and certain other disaster-related needs
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) — funding for measures that reduce future risk, such as elevating a structure, reinforcing a dune, or improving drainage

FEMA assistance is not a substitute for insurance and does not cover everything. It is designed to address basic needs and fill gaps that insurance does not cover. If you have flood insurance, FEMA Individual Assistance generally runs secondary to your policy — you typically must file your insurance claim first.

SBA disaster loans: the program most people overlook

The Small Business Administration’s Disaster Loan Program is one of the most underused federal recovery tools available to individuals — not just businesses. When a federal disaster is declared, SBA low-interest disaster loans become available to homeowners and renters for repair or replacement of property damaged in the disaster.

• Homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 for real property damage (the structure itself)
• Homeowners and renters can borrow up to $100,000 for personal property losses
• Interest rates are typically 2–4 percent for individuals without credit available elsewhere
• Repayment terms can extend up to 30 years

Many homeowners skip the SBA application assuming it is only for businesses, or they wait to see if FEMA grants cover their losses. Neither is a good reason to skip it. SBA loan applications are actually required in many cases before FEMA can issue Other Needs Assistance — FEMA wants to see whether you could access a loan before issuing a grant for the same loss. The application deadline is typically 60 days after the disaster declaration, and applying does not obligate you to accept the loan.

What to do if no federal declaration is issued

Not every storm results in a federal disaster declaration, and the thresholds for Barnstable County can be difficult to meet given the county’s relatively small permanent population compared to more densely affected areas. The September 2023 Massachusetts storms took months and significant congressional advocacy to result in a declaration — and that one covered Bristol and Worcester Counties, not the Cape.

If no federal declaration is issued, your recovery options run through:

• Your flood insurance policy, if you have one — NFIP or private. This is the most direct path for most Cape Cod coastal property owners with sustained flooding or erosion damage
• Your homeowners insurance for wind damage and certain other covered losses. Note that standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage — that requires a separate flood policy
• Massachusetts state programs — MEMA and the state may activate their own assistance programs independent of a federal declaration, particularly if the Governor declares a state of emergency
• FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which can remain available at the state level even without a county-specific individual assistance declaration, and can fund mitigation projects that reduce future storm risk

Your damage report matters to the declaration outcome

Federal and state damage assessments are happening now. Local officials in Chatham, Orleans, Brewster, Eastham, and surrounding towns are compiling damage reports that feed into the Governor’s potential declaration request to the White House. Those reports are only as accurate as the data local emergency managers receive.

If you have significant property damage, report it to your local emergency management office or town hall. This is not bureaucratic box-checking — the total documented damage in Barnstable County is what FEMA and MEMA use to determine whether the county meets the threshold for inclusion. One unreported storm-damaged structure may not matter; hundreds of them, collectively unreported, can be the difference between a declaration that includes the Cape and one that does not.

Do not assume someone else is counting your damage. If your dune is gone, your dock is destroyed, or your structure was flooded, make sure your town knows. That data is what drives the federal threshold calculations — and right now is when it is being gathered.