Humboldt County residents and businesses impacted by the January storms, tidal flooding and the King Tides that occurred between New Year’s Eve and Jan. 5 can now apply for federal assistance through the Small Business Administration.
According to a release from the sheriff’s office, the agency has declared the county a disaster area in response to damage sustained from the winter events. (Read more about the flooding in King Salmon here.)
“Through this program, impacted homeowners, renters, business owners and nonprofit organizations may be eligible for low-interest disaster loans to help cover flood-related damages and losses,” the HCSO release states.
The sheriff’s office notes “the SBA declaration does not mean that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance is available to affected Humboldt County residents.”
The deadline to apply for property damage assistance is April 6 and the deadline to apply for economic injury assistance is Nov. 3, according to the release.
A SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open at 1 p.m. on Monday at the Humboldt Grange No. 501, located at 5845 Humboldt Hill Road in Eureka, to assist those impacted.
According to the release, the center’s hours will be Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but it will be closed Feb. 16 for the Presidents’ Day holiday, with walk-ins taken. People can also make appointments at Appointment.SBA.gov.
“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services would like to thank the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and Humboldt Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) for their work to secure these resources for the community,” the release states.
Find the full release and further details below:
Due to damage from the 2026 Early January Storm, Tidal Flooding and King Tides event between Dec. 31, 2025 and Jan. 5, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared Humboldt County a disaster area.
This SBA declaration does not mean that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance is available to affected Humboldt County residents.
The declaration means that Humboldt County residents affected by this event can now apply for federal assistance through the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program. Through this program, impacted homeowners, renters, business owners and nonprofit organizations may be eligible for low-interest disaster loans to help cover flood-related damages and losses.
SBA Disaster Loan Program Details
Many businesses and nonprofits may apply for business physical disaster loans up to $2 million to repair or replace real estate, machinery, equipment, inventory and other business assets that were damaged as a result of this event.
Homeowners and renters may apply for loans up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property like clothing, furniture, cars and appliances. Homeowners may also apply for up to $500,000 to repair or replace their primary residence.
For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers economic injury disaster loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster, even if a business or organization did not suffer physical damage. These loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, bills and other expenses left unpaid because of the disaster.
SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.
Please note that the SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
Residents should also note that these are low-interest loans that must be paid back in accordance with loan parameters set by the SBA. The SBA determines loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial situation.
How to Apply
Residents impacted by this disaster may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/Disaster.
To provide in person assistance to community members, the SBA will be opening a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9 at Humboldt Grange #501, located at 5845 Humboldt Hill Road in Eureka. The center will be open Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Monday, Feb. 16 for the Presidents Day holiday. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments can be scheduled in advance at Appointment.SBA.gov.
For more information regarding SBA Disaster assistance, applicants may also email SBA’s Customer Service Center at DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to apply for property damage assistance is April 6. The deadline to apply for economic injury assistance is Nov. 3.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services would like to thank the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and Humboldt Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) for their work to secure these resources for the community.
For updated local emergency information, please visit HumboldtGov.org/Emergency and follow @HumCoOES on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).
Additional Resources
U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Fact Sheet: English, Spanish