Insurance industry infighting may delay Congressional action on National Flood Insurance Program

A fight amongst lobbying groups could put a hold on Congress’ decision regarding the ailing National Flood Insurance Program. The program, which provides millions with access to affordable flood insurance, has been wracked with crippling debt for several years and has finally run out of money and reached a point where it could no longer be sustained. Last month, lawmakers allotted more money to the program in an effort to ensure its survival for another five years, but the plan failed when confronted by the program’s enormous debt. Lawmakers were…

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Senate passes bill to prolong the National Flood Insurance Program for a short period while trying to resolve issues

Recent storm bringing widespread flood damage have brought the issue of flood insurance into the limelight. Despite it being required in some areas prone to flooding, flood insurance is rare throughout the country. Many insurance companies do not offer such coverage because the potential for loss. Those that do offer the coverage do so at a high price, making it, in some cases, unaffordable for homeowners. Complicating matters is the ailing National Flood Insurance Program, which is meant to provide consumers with affordable access to flood insurance. The program is…

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Realtors pressure Congress to reform the National Flood Insurance Program

Realtors have raised an alarm regarding flood insurance. Flood insurance is currently a major, yet little known issue in the U.S. Most homes do not have protection against flood damage and those homes that are required to have such protections as per their mortgage agreements obtain this coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The federal program has been crippled by debt, however, making its future uncertain. If the program does fail, realtors from the National Association of Realtors fear that the still-fragile housing market may not survive the…

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SMARTERSAFER.ORG Urges Senate To Pass NFIP Reauthorization Before Sept. 30 Expiration

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, SmarterSafer.org today urged the Senate to pass legislation to re-authorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) before it expires on Sept. 30. “While we believe the bill could be strengthened, the Banking Committee has taken a needed step to reforming the nation’s flood insurance program and Smarter Safer joins a range of stakeholder groups in applauding this legislation,”SmarterSafer.org said in a letter to the Senators. “We urge the full Senate to quickly pass this needed…

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North Dakota residents may need to purchase flood insurance as FEMA’s flood map grows to include 7,500 homes

As FEMA prepares to release its revised flood maps the agency is issuing information to states that may be affected by the changes. North Dakota has recently received such information, which may have more people clamoring for insurance coverage when the flood map is released. FEMA’s flood maps are important to both home owners and insurance companies in order to determine the necessity and value of flood insurance. With major storms causing widespread flood damage, FEMA has been keen to make changes that are meant to help people protect their…

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