More than a year after a destructive storm collapsed Harbor Road in Stony Brook and drained the adjacent Mill Pond, a long-awaited application for federal disaster assistance has been submitted to FEMA.

The damaged road and dam, located near the Stony Brook Mill Pond, have remained untouched since August 2024. In the months following the collapse, responsibility for the road was unclear. The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) initially denied ownership of the property and did not seek federal funds for repairs.

That changed last month.

Under growing public pressure and a lawsuit filed by the Village of Head of the Harbor, WMHO officially acknowledged ownership of the site and submitted documentation to FEMA for reconstruction.

In a joint statement released by the Village of Head of the Harbor, the Town of Brookhaven and WMHO, the parties confirmed the action and reaffirmed their intention to seek federal funding.

“WMHO is the owner of the property where Harbor Road and the dam are located. WMHO is seeking FEMA funding for reconstructing the dam and the road,” the statement read.

WMHO had previously proposed a plan in August to split repair costs among the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, and the Village — without FEMA involvement.

If the FEMA application is approved, the federal government would cover a portion of the restoration costs, significantly easing the financial burden on local municipalities.