The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (STORM RLF) provides capitalization grants to states, territories and tribes, to establish revolving loan funds for the purposes of making low-interest loans for hazard mitigation projects accessible to local governments.

	Supports nature-based solutions		Targeted support for small communities
	Has a regional or watershed focus

Application cycle: The program’s application closed on September 30th, 2025. Check back for updated information on the next cycle.

Summary: FEMA’s STORM program enables eligible entities to establish revolving loan funds to provide low-interest financing for local governments to carry out flood and hazard mitigation projects. For local governments, this means new access to flexible, affordable funding for critical resilience projects like stormwater upgrades, floodplain restoration, and building retrofits. For states and territories, the program offers a structure to support long-term, locally driven mitigation by providing a capitalization grant to set up their own loan fund  The model empowers jurisdictions to reduce vulnerability to disasters, scale up community resilience, and reduce long-term recovery costs.

Eligible applicants: U.S. States, territories, the District of Columbia, and federally recognized tribes; eligible loan recipients include local governments, special districts, and tribal entities located within participating states or territories, all with an approved hazard mitigation plan.

Eligible activities: Loans may support hazard-mitigation projects and activities that are identified in (and consistent with) the community’s FEMA-approved Hazard Mitigation Plan and the state’s Intended Use Plan, including: 

• Nature-based flood resilience: floodplain and wetland restoration; living shorelines/shoreline stabilization; riparian/forest buffers. 
• Stormwater & green/gray infrastructure: detention and/or retention, drainage retrofits, green streets, water-reuse where tied to drought mitigation. 
• Flood control structures (non-federal): construction, repair, or replacement of non-federal levees or other flood-control structures when brought to current standards and compliant with environmental/permitting requirements. 
• Property-level measures: elevation, acquisition, or relocation of flood-prone structures. 

Funding: Check back for funding details.

Cost share: A minimum 10% non-federal match is required

• Filter — Federal Fund Braiding: STRLF loans can legally cover a community’s ‘non-federal’ match for FEMA HMA (BRIC/FMA/HMGP) if the project meets both programs’ rules, so you can braid funds without violating match requirements.

Application process: 

• Cities and local governments cannot apply directly to FEMA for STORM program funding but may access low-interest loans by applying through their state’s revolving loan fund, once it has been established. To do so, cities should coordinate closely with their state’s emergency management or mitigation agency to ensure their proposed projects are included in the state’s application to FEMA. 
  • Project proposals must include an assessment of recurring vulnerabilities to life and property, demonstrate alignment with both local and state hazard mitigation plans, and reflect a systematic, regional approach to resilience, particularly in high-risk areas like floodplains, wetlands, or coastal zones. 
  • Cities should also be aware that the state is required to provide at least six weeks of public notice before submitting its final application to FEMA. Early engagement and preparation are key to ensuring cities can take full advantage of this funding opportunity to reduce disaster risk and strengthen long-term resilience.
  • Sub-applicants are encouraged to contact their state, territory, or tribal applicant as they may have earlier deadlines.
• Applications are to be submitted via Grants.gov, learn more about the STORM Act here.