Trump & Republican-Controlled Congress Let Flood Insurance Program Lapse, Leaving Storm-Prone Communities Without Coverage
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) officially expired after President Trump and the Republican-controlled House and Senate prioritized their health care cuts over essential disaster coverage, leaving millions of Americans unable to purchase or renew flood insurance as we enter peak storm season. The lapse represents a catastrophic failure of leadership by Trump and his congressional allies that will gradually strip away the primary flood insurance safety net as existing policies expire and cannot be renewed.
This expiration marks the latest chapter in Trump’s systematic dismantling of America’s disaster preparedness infrastructure, following his administration’s proposed cuts to FEMA funding, staffing reductions, rollback of climate resilience initiatives and extreme weather forecasting, and additional workforce reductions across the federal government. With hurricane season extending deeper into fall and unprecedented flooding events striking communities nationwide, the timing of this lapse couldn’t be more dangerous – while existing policyholders retain their current coverage, the nearly 5 million policyholders who depend on NFIP will be unable to renew their policies as they expire, and new homeowners will be completely shut out from obtaining flood insurance to protect their homes and livelihoods.
“Donald Trump and his allies in charge in Washington have once again shown that their political priorities matter more than protecting American families from disaster,” said Rafael Lemaitre, former Director of Public Affairs at FEMA. “By shutting down the government to cling to their unpopular health care agenda, Republican members of Congress have left millions of homeowners to grapple with Congress stripping away the flood insurance that serves as a lifeline for families trying to rebuild after catastrophic storms. This isn’t just negligence – it’s a deliberate abandonment of the federal government’s responsibility to help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.”
The Critical Role of NFIP
The National Flood Insurance Program provides affordable insurance to property owners in 22,000 communities nationwide. Unlike private insurance, NFIP coverage is available even in high-risk flood zones and serves as an essential alternative to costly taxpayer-funded disaster assistance.
By the Numbers:
Over 1.5 million homes at high flood risk
NFIP covers over 750,000 homes with $225+ billion in coverage
Average claim payment: $29,000 for essential post-storm repairs
Nearly 1 million homes at high flood risk
NFIP covers over 500,000 homes with $145+ billion in coverage
Average claim payment: $36,000 for essential post-storm repairs
Over 4 million homes at high flood risk
NFIP covers over 1 million homes with $463+ billion in coverage
Average claim payment: $20,000 for essential post-storm repairs
Nearly 250,000 homes at high flood risk
NFIP covers more than 80,000 homes with nearly $25 billion in coverage
Average claim payment: $23,000 for essential post-storm repairs
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