A bipartisan bill introduced in the US House of Representatives aims to change how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages flood maps and data for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which faces a potential lapse on Sept. 30.
The Improvement of Mapping, Addresses, Geography, Elevations and Structures (IMAGES) Act would require FEMA to update flood maps every five years. The legislation also calls for the agency’s insurance rate maps to incorporate planimetric features, such as roads, structure footprints, rivers, and lakes, which are not dependent on elevation.
Rep. Troy Downing (pictured above, left), a Republican from Montana and former state insurance commissioner, said the bill would make flood data public for use in flood risk management, map appeals, water resources, aviation safety, and fire prevention.
Downing said that making this data available, along with enhanced resources, would help consumers make more informed decisions about flood prevention and their property’s risk profile.
He introduced the bill with Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (pictured above, right), a Democrat from Texas, who pointed to recent floods in Central and South Texas as evidence of the need for reform. Gonzalez described the IMAGES Act as providing “critical data and resources to implement flood prevention strategies so they are better prepared for any future disasters.”
Recent analysis shows that the demand for flood insurance in the US has surged this year, driven by an increase in flooding events, including in areas previously considered low risk. The 2025 State of Flood report notes that extreme rainfall, droughts, and intensified storms are contributing to this trend.
These conditions have led to a rise in pluvial flooding, which results from heavy rainfall and is becoming more frequent and severe. Notably, many of these flood events are occurring outside traditional high-risk flood zones, adding unpredictability to flood risk assessments.
According to projections from First Street, another 1.7 million US properties in coastal and low-lying areas could face flood risk as environmental conditions evolve.
As the House considers changes to FEMA’s flood mapping approach, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, is warning about the consequences if the NFIP lapses at the end of the month.
In a floor speech, Cassidy said that without a funding agreement, millions of Americans – including nearly 500,000 in Louisiana – could lose access to flood insurance. He noted that hurricane season will continue for another two months and questioned how vulnerable residents would manage without coverage.
Cassidy argued that a funding dispute should not leave consumers uncertain about their insurance. Even with a short-term funding agreement, he said, a long-term NFIP extension is necessary.
Over the past decade, Congress has approved 33 short-term NFIP extensions, which Cassidy said demonstrates the need for a more permanent solution. “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,” he said.
The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) has expressed support for efforts to improve the accuracy of flood maps, emphasizing that updated maps help communities and property owners better understand their flood risk. NAMIC is also in discussions with lawmakers to prevent a lapse in the NFIP.
“Though we’ve had a quiet hurricane season so far, we are by no means out of the woods. 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 on the calendar,” said Jimi Grande, NAMIC’s senior vice president of federal and political affairs.
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