About the NFIP

Prepare. Prevent. Respond. Recover.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the main source of flood insurance coverage in the United States. The NFIP, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides flood insurance coverage and monitors floodplain management across the country.

Why the NFIP was created

Prior to 1968, flood insurance was extremely expensive for private insurers to offer and even more difficult for homeowners to obtain. For decades, most homeowners viewed flooding only as a remote possibility and they relied on the federal government to provide disaster assistance in case that "rare event" actually happened. If federal disaster relief wasn't available, recovery costs were paid from the homeowner's pocket. Although flood-control works such as dams, levees and seawalls were built, the nation didn't see a reduction in flood losses, nor did communities implement wise building codes or strategies for new development to prevent flood damage to properties.

After a wave of flood losses in the 1960s, the U.S. Congress took action. It created the NFIP to promote community floodplain management ordinances and to offer federally-backed flood insurance.