Congress is staring down a potential lapse of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on Sept. 30 while lawmakers push new legislation to update the way FEMA manages flood maps.
The bill, titled the Improvement of Mapping, Addresses, Geography, Elevations and Structures (IMAGES) Act, was introduced in the House by Rep. Troy Downing, a Republican from Montana and former state insurance commissioner, alongside Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat.
It would require FEMA to refresh flood maps every five years and incorporate planimetric features—such as roads, structure footprints, rivers, and lakes—into insurance rate maps.
The measure also calls for FEMA to make its flood data public, opening access for uses beyond insurance: water management, map appeals, aviation safety, and fire prevention. Downing said this level of transparency and accuracy would help consumers gauge their flood risk more effectively and invest in prevention strategies.
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through Dec. 31, 2026. This move addresses the 32 short-term extensions the program has faced over the past decade.
The most recent extension, enacted in December 2024, is set to expire on March 14 at midnight unless Congress intervenes with new legislation or another short-term extension.
The House of Representatives passed the continuing resolution on March 11, but the Senate had not yet voted on the budget measure at the time of reporting.
Frequent short-term extensions undermine the NFIP’s ability to serve its 4.7 million policyholders, according to Louisiana Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, who sponsored the bill.
Gonzalez tied the reform push to recent floods across Central and South Texas, calling the bill a lifeline for coastal and flood-prone regions.
The IMAGES Act is a lifeline for our vulnerable coastal communities and historically flood-prone regions, equipping them with critical data and resources to implement flood prevention strategies so they are better prepared for any future disasters
Vicente Gonzalez
While House lawmakers debate reform, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is warning of the fallout if the NFIP simply expires at month’s end due to gridlock over federal funding.
In a Senate floor speech, Cassidy noted that nearly half a million Louisiana residents depend on NFIP coverage, alongside millions of policyholders nationwide. With hurricane season still active, he said, leaving families uncertain about their coverage is indefensible.
Congress has already passed 33 short-term NFIP extensions in the last decade, a stopgap cycle Cassidy says underscores the need for a long-term reauthorization.
It is irresponsible for Congress to continue to make families hold their breath and hope that the rug won’t be pulled out from under them.
The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies has also stepped in, urging lawmakers to both modernize mapping standards and prevent a lapse.
Jimi Grande, senior vice president of federal and political affairs, said homeowners deserve stability in the middle of hurricane season.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that Hurricane Helene could result in National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) losses between $3.5 bn and $7 bn, including loss adjustment expenses.
Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage in the southeastern United States in late September 2024, with economic impact estimates ranging from $30.5 bn to $250 bn.
AccuWeather estimated the losses between $225 bn and $250 bn, while CoreLogic’s final figure placed flood and wind losses between $30.5 bn and $47.5 bn. Moody’s Analytics assessed damage at $20 bn to $34 bn, and The Hill reported a potential total exceeding $160 bn.
“Though we’ve had a quiet hurricane season so far, we are by no means out of the woods,” he said. “It would be unconscionable for Congress to freeze the NFIP and take away homeowners’ ability to protect themselves from flood losses during this pivotal time.”
The coming weeks will determine whether Congress can simultaneously modernize FEMA’s flood maps and secure long-term NFIP funding—or whether another last-minute patch keeps millions of policyholders in limbo.
