As previously reported, in early December 2018 Congress passed another short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program that was scheduled to expire on December 21, 2018. On December 21, the US House of Representatives agreed to a bill adopted by the US Senate in November 2018 to extend the Program until May 31, 2019, and President Trump signed the extension on December 21. Earlier that day, an effort in the House to both extend the Program until May 31, 2018 and make additional changes, failed.

But the drama was not over. Based on the partial government shutdown, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on December 27, 2018 that it had sent a message to its industry partners providing guidance to suspend flood insurance sales operations as a result of the lapse of funding. The announcement drew criticism from various parties, and on December 28, 2018 FEMA announced it was rescinding the prior guidance and was resuming the sale of new flood insurance policies and the renewal of expiring policies.