A new bipartisan bill in the US House aims to change how FEMA handles flood maps for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is at risk of lapsing on September 30. The proposed Improvement of Mapping, Addresses, Geography, Elevations and Structures (IMAGES) Act would require FEMA to update flood maps every five years and include detailed features like roads, building footprints, rivers, and lakes on its insurance rate maps, even if these features aren’t tied to elevation.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Troy Downing, a Republican from Montana and former state insurance commissioner. He said making flood data public would help people manage flood risks better, appeal map decisions, and support other areas like water management and fire prevention. Downing believes that providing clearer flood data will help homeowners and buyers understand their flood risk more accurately.
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat from Texas, co-sponsored the bill. He pointed to recent floods in Central and South Texas to highlight the need for better flood prevention tools. Gonzalez called the IMAGES Act important for giving communities the data they need to prepare for future disasters.
Flood insurance demand has jumped in the US this year. More frequent and intense flooding, including in places once thought safe, is driving this surge. Heavy rainfall and stronger storms have increased pluvial flooding, which happens when the ground can’t absorb water fast enough. Many of these floods happen outside usual high-risk zones, making it harder to predict who’s at risk. A recent projection suggests as many as 1.7 million more properties in coastal and low-lying areas could face flood risk as conditions worsen.
Meanwhile, Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, is warning about what could happen if the NFIP isn’t extended. In a speech, he said millions of people, including nearly half a million in Louisiana alone, might lose their flood insurance coverage just as hurricane season continues. Cassidy urged Congress to find a lasting solution because short-term fixes have been the norm for years—there have been 33 temporary NFIP extensions in the last decade.
The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) supports efforts to improve flood maps. They say updated maps help communities and property owners understand their flood dangers better. NAMIC is also working with lawmakers to avoid any lapse in the flood insurance program. Jimi Grande, NAMIC’s senior vice president for federal and political affairs, said it would be wrong for Congress to freeze the program now, especially when the hurricane season is still active.
As the deadline looms, lawmakers on both sides stress the need for better flood data and a long-term plan to keep flood insurance available for millions of Americans.