The government shutdown has halted the National Flood Insurance Program, blocking new policies and renewals for 4.7 million policyholders including 180,000 Californians.

Up to 1,400 home sales per day could stall in flood-prone areas where mortgage lenders require insurance to close loans.

A lapse in the National Flood Insurance Program because of the U.S. government shutdown threatens to snarl home sales in the nation’s riskiest floodplains and leave some homeowners without coverage in the middle of hurricane season.

Without reauthorization, the program — which counts more than 4.7 million policies providing more than $1.3 trillion in coverage — cannot issue new policies or renew expiring ones. In areas that require flood insurance to close a loan, that’s a problem.

In California, 180

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