Flood insurance
Will Annie Andrews' win change flood insurance in Myrtle Beach?
Not before the Dec. 11 deadline.
- Dec. 11federal flood insurance expires
- 20,388federal flood policies on Horry County homes
- 36short extensions since 2017
By Devin Day, Chief Operating Officer, and Abdulla Hijazi, Chief Marketing Officer · Reviewed by Tim Nash, Broker-in-Charge · Updated November 4, 2026
Federal flood insurance expires Dec. 11, before South Carolina's new senator is sworn in. In a lapse, Grand Strand buyers cannot get a new federal flood policy.
The short answer
No, not by itself, and not before Dec. 11. Federal flood insurance expires that day, and Annie Andrews takes her U.S. Senate seat in January.
Congress has kept the program running with 36 short extensions since late 2017, and every lapse so far has ended. Under current law, most flood premiums can rise up to 18% a year, whoever holds the seat. A lasting change needs Congress as a whole, with 60 Senate votes to end debate on a regular bill.
Buying in a flood zone? We help get flood insurance quotes.
Talk to a specialized agentWhat happens to flood insurance in Myrtle Beach on Dec. 11?
Federal flood insurance expires on Dec. 11 unless Congress extends it. FEMA runs it as the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP.
- No new policies
FEMA cannot sell a new federal flood policy until Congress acts.
- Current policies stay in force
A policy you already have covers you to the end of its one-year term.
- Claims are still paid
FEMA pays claims from the premiums it collects. Its borrowing limit drops from about $30 billion to $1 billion.
- Sept. 2The stopgap spending law is signed. It keeps federal flood insurance running to Dec. 11.
- Nov. 3Election Day. The Associated Press calls the Senate race for Annie Andrews.
- Dec. 11Federal flood insurance expires unless Congress extends it. The Congress in office now votes.
- Jan. 3The new Senate term starts. Sen. Darline Graham's term ends.
- After Jan. 3Andrews votes on any later extension or long-term flood bill.
Who votes on the Dec. 11 deadline?
The Congress in office now. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed in July after her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, died, holds the seat until her term ends on Jan. 3. Russell Fry, who represents Horry County in the U.S. House, won re-election and votes before and after January.
Our guide to what the election means for Myrtle Beach buyers and sellers covers every race and what each office controls.
Has flood insurance lapsed before, and did closings stop?
Yes. Congress has let federal flood insurance lapse nine times since 2010. Each lapse ended when Congress passed an extension.
What did a lapse do to home closings?
In the month-long lapse of June 2010, an estimated 1,400 home closings a day were canceled or delayed across the country. During the six-week lapse of October and November 2025, some lenders suspended the flood insurance requirement for buyers.
A lapse matters most to a buyer with a loan on a home in a high-risk flood zone. The lender must require flood insurance there before closing. Most buyers meet that rule with a federal policy.
How many Horry County homes have federal flood insurance?
About 1 in 7 residential buildings in Horry County has a federal flood policy, 20,388 policies in all. Of those, 5,861 are on homes in the high-risk flood zone, where a lender requires one. A home outside that zone can still flood, and our agents check a house's flood zone and flood history before you offer.
How much can flood insurance go up each year in Myrtle Beach?
Under federal law, most flood premiums can rise no more than 18% a year. A second home still on an older discounted rate is different. Its premium must rise 25% a year until it reaches the full-risk price.
| Years | Most homes | Older discounted second home |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +18% | +25% |
| 2 | +39% | +56% |
| 3 | +64% | +95% |
| 5 | +129% | +205% |
At the lower limit, a premium can grow to more than twice its starting amount in five years. At the higher one, it can reach three times.
These limits stay the same whoever holds the Senate seat. Only a new law from Congress changes them. Our guide to coastal insurance in Myrtle Beach gives what flood, wind and homeowners policies cost here.
What can one U.S. senator change about flood insurance?
A U.S. senator can vote, sponsor bills and serve on committees. One senator cannot change flood insurance alone.
- 1 of 100is Andrews' share of the Senate's votes.
- 60 votesare needed to end debate on a regular bill in the Senate.
- Bankingis the Senate committee that gets FEMA's flood insurance cost recommendations.
Federal flood law sends FEMA's recommendations on flood insurance costs to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Committee seats for the new Congress are not assigned yet, so Andrews' committees are not known.
A long-term flood bill needs those Senate votes, a majority in the House and the president's signature. Her first-time buyer tax credit idea needs the same votes, unless it goes in a budget bill, which needs only a simple majority in the Senate.
CBS News projects that Democrats will control the Senate in January. Before the election, Republicans held 53 seats to 47.
What have Andrews and Wilson said about insurance?
Neither winner has a written flood insurance plan that we found. Andrews held a roundtable on homeowners insurance. Wilson's agenda, as reported, calls for state audits of rate increases.
Annie Andrews
Democrat. Won the U.S. Senate race; the Associated Press called it on election night.
- What she said about insurance
- She held a homeowners insurance roundtable in Beaufort with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Her campaign said homeowners insurance in Beaufort and Jasper counties is projected to rise more than 200% in 10 years. The campaign did not say where that projection came from.
- A written flood insurance plan?
- None that we found. Her infrastructure page backs "resilient infrastructure" and names no flood project.
- Can her office change federal flood insurance?
- Only with Congress. She has one Senate vote and, once assigned, committee seats.
- Does it change the Dec. 11 deadline?
- No. She takes office after it.
Alan Wilson
Republican. Won the governor's race; Jermaine Johnson conceded on election night.
- What he said about insurance
- His affordability agenda, as reported, calls for regular, public audits of rate increases. The state Department of Insurance would use the audit power it already has. The governor would get quarterly updates, and major carriers would publish yearly reports.
- A written flood insurance plan?
- No flood item is in his agenda as reported. The audit item names rate increases and does not mention flood insurance. His agenda also calls for removing the higher property tax on rentals.
- Can his office change federal flood insurance?
- No. Congress writes the law for federal flood insurance.
- Does it change the Dec. 11 deadline?
- No. A governor has no vote in Congress.
For the rest of each winner's plans, see what the 2026 election means for Myrtle Beach.
Can I use private flood insurance instead of FEMA in Myrtle Beach?
Yes. A private flood policy can meet a lender's flood insurance rule when it meets the federal standards for one. Most loans still use a federal policy.
A lapse does not stop the sale of private flood policies. Our agents have a network of insurance agents for federal and private flood quotes.
Closing on a home in a flood zone?
We help get a federal and a private flood insurance quote on the home, so you can compare them before Dec. 11. There is no cost to you.
Talk to a specialized agentWhat will happen to flood insurance on the Grand Strand next?
The past record points to another short extension or a short lapse in the next year or two. Over five years and more, it points to more short extensions.
- Short run: the next year or two
What happened beforeA short extension at most deadlines since late 2017, and five short lapses. Every lapse so far ended with an extension.
What it points to hereAnother short extension near Dec. 11, or a lapse of hours to weeks, as before.
What has to happen firstBoth chambers of the Congress in office now pass an extension, and the president signs it.
- Premiums, every year
What the law says nowA premium can rise each year up to the limits in the table above.
What it points to hereThe same limits, with or without a new senator.
What has to happen firstOnly a new law from Congress changes the limits.
- Long run: five years and more
What happened beforeNine years of short extensions, with no long-term renewal.
What it points to hereMore short extensions, unless a long-term bill passes. We found no study of what the short extensions did to home prices.
What has to happen firstA bill through the Senate Banking Committee and 60 Senate votes to end debate. Then a House majority and the president's signature.
What does a lapse look like for one buyer?
Example: A buyer is under contract on a house near the Waccamaw River, in a high-risk flood zone. The closing is in mid-December, after the flood insurance deadline.
Her lender requires flood insurance to close. Congress has not voted yet.
A Chapter3 agent asks an insurance agent for a federal quote and a private quote weeks before the deadline. The lender accepts the private policy, and the closing stays on its date.
Asking for both quotes early gives a buyer a second choice if Congress misses the deadline.
Common questions
Flood insurance and the election: questions
What is the latest NFIP reauthorization update?
Federal flood insurance runs until Dec. 11 under the stopgap spending law signed on Sept. 2. Congress must extend it by then, or FEMA cannot sell new flood policies until it does.
What happens to my flood insurance if the program lapses on Dec. 11?
Your current policy stays in force to the end of its one-year term, and FEMA keeps paying claims. FEMA cannot sell new policies until Congress acts. A buyer who needs a new policy waits or uses private flood insurance.
Will Annie Andrews vote on the Dec. 11 flood insurance deadline?
No. The new Senate term starts Jan. 3, after the deadline. Sen. Darline Graham holds the seat until then. Andrews votes on any extension or flood bill after she takes office.
Can a home closing happen during a flood insurance lapse?
Yes, with a private flood policy the lender accepts. Some lenders also waived the requirement in the lapse that ran from October to November 2025. In the June 2010 lapse, an estimated 1,400 closings a day were canceled or delayed nationwide.
Can the governor of South Carolina change flood insurance?
No. Only Congress can change federal flood insurance. Alan Wilson's insurance item, as reported, is about state audits of rate increases, with yearly public reports from major carriers.
Sources: CRS: NFIP reauthorization, Public Law 119-103, 42 U.S.C. 4015, 42 U.S.C. 4014, FEMA: Horry County flood policies, Senate: cloture, WBTV: AP call, WTOC: Andrews roundtable, Fox Carolina: Wilson agenda. Lapse lengths and premium growth: Chapter3's arithmetic from these sources. Election results are unofficial until certified.
Buying a home in a Grand Strand flood zone?
We check the flood zone before you offer. We help get federal and private flood insurance quotes, so you know your choices before a deadline. It is free, with no obligation.
Talk to a specialized agent