KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Half a million Louisiana NFIP policyholders affected by federal shutdown.

FEMA halted new policies and renewals, freezing home closings.

Senators Cassidy and Kennedy propose stopgap bills to restore coverage.

Rising premiums under Risk Rating 2.0 highlight need for long-term reform.

The prolonged government shutdown has disrupted the National Flood Insurance Program, leaving roughly half a million Louisiana policyholders in limbo and complicating property sales , U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday.

The program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has stopped writing policies and paused renewals of existing ones, a scenario Louisiana officials warned in September could hobble real estate transactions and weaken the government’s abilit

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