If the government shuts down as expected on Wednesday, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will no longer be able to issue new policies or renewals, which could cause headaches for homeowners and those involved in real estate transactions.

People whose coverage is slated to lapse under NFIP, which is run through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), could find themselves without insurance in the event of a flood if the government faces a prolonged shutdown.

“The main concern is whether buyers will have coverage if a flood occurs and whether FEMA will have sufficient funds to pay claims,” Austin Perez, senior policy representative for insurance Issues at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), said in a statement to The Hill.

The association sent a letter to congressional leaders on Friday urging them to extend the program.

“Without access to flood insurance, American families must rely on federal disaster aid, which is severely limited,” said group President Kevin Sears in the letter.

“According to NAR research, 1,400 property sales each day could be forced to move forward and go bare without the protection of flood insurance depending on lender approval. The risk of an unnecessary NFIP lapse puts American lives, families, properties and businesses at untenable risk and must........

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