--- title: "Millions lack flood insurance amid rising risks and program flaws" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/millions-lack-flood-insurance-amid-rising-risks-and-program-flaws" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/millions-lack-flood-insurance-amid-rising-risks-and-program-flaws" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/millions-lack-flood-insurance-amid-rising-risks-and-program-flaws.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/millions-lack-flood-insurance-amid-rising-risks-and-program-flaws" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-29T15:05:12.861Z" source_reported: "2026-09-29T14:19:05.000Z" updated: "2026-09-29T15:05:12.861Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 70 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-29T16:15:26.180517+00:00" --- # Millions lack flood insurance amid rising risks and program flaws *A federal program meant to provide affordable flood insurance is failing to reach those most in need, with policy numbers declining.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is corroborated by multiple outlets and cites federal government data and First Street analysis. - Craft 70 of 100, higher is better. The story is well-structured, clearly separates fact from comment, and includes human interest elements. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The headline and presentation are factual and do not overstate the content of the article. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Nationwide, 2.4% of properties have federal flood insurance, while 8.4% face severe or extreme flood risk. - The number of federal flood insurance policies has dropped by about 500,000 over the past five years. - In some eastern Kentucky areas, fewer than 5% of properties are insured despite high flood risk. - Proposals to make the federal flood insurance program more affordable have not advanced. Millions of Americans who are most vulnerable to flooding do not have federal flood insurance, a situation made worse by a declining number of policies and increasing climate risks. Nationwide, only 2.4% of properties are covered by federal flood insurance, compared to 8.4% that are at severe or extreme risk of flooding. This gap highlights fundamental issues within the program, which struggles to balance affordability, flood protection, and the cost to taxpayers. The number of flood insurance policies has decreased by approximately 500,000 in the last five years. This trend occurs as the risk of flooding rises across the United States, driven by factors such as climate change. The problem is particularly acute in areas like eastern Kentucky, where in some ZIP codes, fewer than 5% of properties have flood insurance, despite hundreds or thousands of buildings being at extreme risk. Experts note that areas with high flood risk and low insurance coverage tend to be poorer. These areas are also sometimes served by FEMA flood maps that do not accurately reflect the severity of the risk or mandate sufficient insurance purchases. Proposals aimed at overhauling the program, including making it more affordable for low-income individuals, have stalled in Congress. ## Disagreement on flood map accuracy Washington Top News and The Independent (US) report that FEMA's flood maps do not always accurately capture the extent of severe flood risk, leading millions to believe their homes are safer than they are and not requiring them to buy insurance when they might need it. The Seattle Times digest also notes that climate change increases flood risk, leading fewer people to buy insurance. None of the other digests provide specific details on the accuracy of FEMA's flood maps. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned specific figures for the total number of federal flood insurance policies currently in effect, only the decrease over five years. Additionally, none of the reports provided details on the cost of the federal flood insurance program to taxpayers. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 70% (7) - Centre: 30% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-29T16:15:26.180517+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-29T16:45:29.989Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports highlighted the role of climate change in increasing flood risks across the United States, leading to fewer people buying flood insurance. They noted that areas with high flood risk and low insurance coverage tend to be poorer. The Independent (US) and The Seattle Times digests also mentioned that proposals to make the federal flood insurance program more affordable for low-income buyers have stalled. The Independent (US) and The Toronto Star digests used an Associated Press account that included personal stories from eastern Kentucky residents affected by the July 2022 flood, detailing their experiences with flood damage and lack of insurance. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the statistics of flood insurance coverage versus flood risk nationwide and in specific areas like eastern Kentucky. They highlighted the decrease in the number of flood insurance policies over the last five years and the challenges in reforming the federal program. Washington Top News, which provided a full report, included personal accounts from individuals affected by floods, illustrating the difficulties faced by those without insurance and the benefits for those who had it. The digests from My Mother Lode, The Record, and Winnipeg Free Press also used an Associated Press account that began with similar personal stories from eastern Kentucky. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 5 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [PressNewsAgency](https://pressnewsagency.org/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-dont-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/11178544/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-dont-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices.html) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/09/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-dont-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices – WTOP News - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/business/takeaways-from-the-ap-s-analysis-on-the-fundamental-flaws-in-the-national-flood-insurance-program/article_8967c349-dbab-511e-a0f1-96db46376a9b.html) — Takeaways from the AP’s analysis on the fundamental flaws in the national flood insurance program - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/business/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-dont-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-don-t-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices/article_8e2f9799-c098-54e0-99dc-0d443660ab46.html) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fema-kentucky-congress-friends-washington-b3058313.html) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/world/americas/fema-kentucky-congress-friends-washington-b3058313.html) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [abc News](https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/millions-flood-insurance-dont-flawed-federal-program-raises-136851809) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [The Record](https://therecord.com/business/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-don-t-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices/article_c429b7c5-8e46-5e06-be6a-a97c374b7982.html) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/09/29/millions-who-need-flood-insurance-the-most-dont-have-it-as-flawed-federal-program-raises-prices) — Millions who need flood insurance the most don’t have it as flawed federal program raises prices ## Questions **How many properties nationwide have federal flood insurance?** Nationwide, only 2.4% of properties are covered by federal flood insurance policies. This is in contrast to the 8.4% of properties that are at severe or extreme risk of flooding, indicating a significant gap in coverage for those most vulnerable. **Why are fewer people buying flood insurance?** Fewer people are buying flood insurance due to a combination of factors including rising prices, outdated flood maps that do not accurately reflect risk, and stalled proposals to make the program more affordable. Climate change is also increasing the risk of flooding across many parts of the United States. **What is the status of efforts to reform the federal flood insurance program?** Proposals to overhaul the federal flood insurance program, including measures to make it more affordable for low-income buyers, have stalled. There is a general agreement that the program is 'broken,' but a lack of consensus on how to fix it. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/millions-lack-flood-insurance-amid-rising-risks-and-program-flaws. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Millions lack flood insurance amid rising risks and program flaws", https://mediabias.news/politics/millions-lack-flood-insurance-amid-rising-risks-and-program-flaws