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When the Great Plains are tested by severe weather, our communities always respond with incredible sheer hustle and grit. We see business owners and families working side-by-side to clear debris and rebuild. But we know that the exhaustion of recovering from a storm often comes with a quiet, lingering worry: what happens if another storm hits?
Our data and your feedback show that simply returning a damaged home or storefront to the way it was before a disaster can sometimes leave us vulnerable to the exact same risks. We want to partner with you to change that. At the Small Business Administration, our goal is not just to help you rebuild, but to help you build back stronger and more resilient.
If your property is damaged in a declared disaster, you may be eligible for a resource known as the Mitigation Option. This program allows property owners to increase their approved SBA physical disaster loan by up to 20 percent of their verified loss. These additional funds provide the financial breathing room needed to invest in specific physical upgrades that protect your property against future hazards, even allowing you to exceed standard local building codes.
What does mitigation look like in practice?
It is about practical, everyday changes that secure your livelihood. Depending on the unique risks in your area, these funds can be used for a wide variety of protective measures:
● For High Winds and Tornadoes: Adding hurricane straps to reinforce your roof, installing wind-resistant siding, or even constructing a safe room to protect your employees and family.
● For Flooding: Elevating your essential utilities and heating systems above potential flood levels, or installing sump pumps and flood vents to safely redirect water.
● For Winter Storms: Adding roof snow guards to prevent dangerous ice accumulations or upgrading insulation to stop pipes from freezing.
Our data suggests that these physical investments consistently pay off. Estimates indicate that, on average, for every $1 spent on physical risk reduction, $6 is saved from future disaster losses. Furthermore, investing in these upgrades may help you secure ongoing discounts on your homeowner's or business insurance premiums, lowering your everyday expenses. We cannot stop natural disasters from happening, but we can work together to secure the stable future our communities deserve.
If you are currently recovering from a disaster, I encourage you to ask your SBA representative about how the Mitigation Option can work for your specific property. To learn more about fortifying your home or business, please contact our Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 7-1-1) or explore our resilience resources at www.sba.gov/prepare.
Brad Zaun is the SBA Regional Administrator for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska and a former Republican Iowa State Senator.