Low-interest Loan Help from the ND Hazard Mitigation Fund

Posted 2/13/24 (Tue)

The ND Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) is currently accepting hazard mitigation project ideas from local and tribal communities that are interested in applying for a low-interest loan from the North Dakota Hazard Mitigation Fund (NDHMF) which could help them complete their proposed mitigation project.

The NDHMF is a newly created revolving loan fund that will utilize federal and state monies awarded through the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act. If approved, applicants can receive up to a $5 million loan per project from the NDHMF. All loans only have a 1% interest rate, and can be paid back over a 20 year repayment period (or 30 years for low-income communities).

Eligible mitigation projects are activities that will help prevent damages from natural hazards such as floods, severe storms, wildfires, etc. Some examples of eligible mitigation projects include constructing floodwalls and levees, drainage improvements, storm shelter installation, vegetative debris removal, flood prone property acquisitions, slope stabilization, developing mitigation plans, and community planning/capacity building activities.

If a local or tribal government has a potential mitigation project and they are interested in applying for a loan through the NDHMF, please click the following link and fill out our Notice of Interest form so your project can be submitted to NDDES: Notice of Interest Form – ND Hazard Mitigation Fund. This online form will be available until 5 PM on March 13, 2024.

After your project idea is submitted, the project will be included with the State of North Dakota's upcoming application to request STORM Act funding which, once awarded, will be available through the NDHMF so loans can start being processed By completing the Notice of Interest form, an interested local or tribal government would be eligible to apply for a loan through the NDHMF after STORM Act funding becomes available, however, the local or tribal government is not obligated to continue the loan application process if they are no longer interested in securing a loan for their project.

Lastly, NDDES cannot guarantee that enough funding will be awarded through the STORM Act to fund all submitted project ideas. Projects will be ranked by the ND State Hazard Mitigation Team (SHMT) and funded in that order until all funds are depleted for this fiscal year. The STORM Act is an annual program, and there will be additional opportunities to apply for funding in the future for any applicants that are unsuccessful in obtaining a loan for their project this year.

If you have any questions about the STORM Act or the NDHMF, please contact Todd Joersz, NDDES State Hazard Mitigation Officer, at tjoersz@nd.gov or 701-328-8261.