FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marathon Community Members Asked to Complete Storm-Damage Form to Support Potential Disaster Relief and Loan Assistance

MARATHON, NEW YORK — August 24, 2026 — Residents, renters, businesses, private nonprofit organizations, and other community members affected by the July 18 storm are urged to complete the Marathon Storm Damage and Recovery Form as soon as possible.

The information collected will help document the storm’s full impact on the Marathon community and may assist local, county, and state officials in evaluating potential disaster-recovery assistance, including possible Small Business Administration disaster-loan assistance. Completing the form does not guarantee that assistance will be approved, and it is not an application for a loan or grant. It is an important record of community damage and unmet recovery needs. If you do not have access to a computer please stop into the Marathon Village Office to seek assistance.

Town and Village leadership, community members, Stephanie J. Chapin, Regional Director for Region IV (CNY, STZ), New York State Office of Emergency Management, and representatives of Cortland County Emergency Management met to discuss the July 18 storm, recovery needs, and the process for documenting losses. The community’s information is essential to ensuring that the assessment reflects all eligible household, business, nonprofit, and local-government impacts.

Community reports already show substantial cleanup and recovery costs. The community needs complete information, including losses that were not included in earlier estimates, such as tree removal, property repairs, damaged personal property, business losses, cemetery damage, municipal overtime, emergency work, and costs associated with mutual aid.

Who Should Complete the Form

Please complete the form if you were affected by the July 18 storm and you are a:

• Homeowner or renter with damage, cleanup expenses, displacement, or loss of personal property;
• Business owner with property, inventory, equipment, cleanup, or other storm-related losses;
• Private nonprofit organization or cemetery representative with storm-related damage or costs; or
• Town, Village, or responding-agency representative with storm-related emergency work, debris-removal, equipment, overtime, or repair costs.

Please complete the form even if you have insurance, have already paid for cleanup or repairs, are still waiting for estimates or invoices, or previously reported losses elsewhere. If you know of a neighbor, family member, or business that may have been affected, please encourage them to participate.

Information to Have Available

If possible, have the following information available before completing the form:

• Property address and a description of the storm damage;
• Photographs of damage and cleanup work;
• Receipts, invoices, repair estimates, and proof of payment;
• Insurance information, including any claim number, payment, deductible, or denial; and
• An estimate of costs already paid and costs still expected.

Do not delay completing the form if all records are not yet available. Submit the information you have and update it when additional bills, estimates, or insurance information become available.

Complete the Form: 

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/934a92849d104d63aed27fd1ddf28277

Due to time constraints, Community Members are encouraged to complete this form within 14 days.

Privacy

Information submitted through the form will be used to document storm impacts and recovery needs. Community members should not post personal insurance, financial, or other sensitive information publicly. Aggregate totals may be used to describe the community’s overall losses, while personal information should be handled confidentially.

About Potential Assistance

The assessment process is being conducted through established local, county, state, and federal procedures. Under N.Y. Executive Law § 28, the Governor has authority to declare a state disaster emergency; separate program requirements may apply to disaster loans and other forms of recovery assistance. Any eligibility determination, declaration, loan, grant, or other assistance decision will be made by the appropriate administering agency.

For general New York disaster-recovery information, visit the New York State Disaster Recovery page.