National flood insurance $18 billion in the red

For the National Flood Insurance Program, there are good years and there are bad years. This is shaping up to be a bad year. The massive Mississippi River flooding is expected to leave behind a giant bill for the government program, which offers affordable insurance to people who live in risky areas and then backstops their claims. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency program is nearly $18 billion in the red -- largely because of the massive flooding in 2005 caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.