Reviewed August 6, 2020

 Summary: Regardless of the name of the hurricane or where it makes landfall, insurance coverage—or lack thereof—is one of the most critical items to be examined. The fallout from Hurricane Katrina and the standard flood exclusion in homeowners led to national attention and many lawsuits. The issue of wind versus water became a household topic. FEMA was widely criticized for the handling of the situation, and the National Flood Insurance Program was left with a debt of $17.5 billion.

When Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, the issues rose again. This time there were more political issues as the NFIP already owed $24.6 billion to the Treasury which is considered unpayable. Hurricane Harvey could push the debt to the $30 billion borrowing limit.