Sturm, Hagel, Überschwemmungen: Versicher erwarten eher niedrige Naturkatastrophenschäden

Deutsche Versicherer anticipate below-average damage from natural disasters this year, thanks to the absence of severe winter storms, according to the German Insurance Association (GDV). Storms, hail, heavy rain, and flooding caused around 950 million euros in damages during the first half of the year, with the GDV predicting a total of two billion euros for the entire year.

This represents a decrease of over a billion euros compared to an average year. However, the GDV stresses that the low damages are merely a stroke of luck, as climate change-related extreme weather events and subsequent damages are on the rise. In the long-term statistics, severe rain, flooding, and blockages account for yearly damages of 2.4 billion euros, with damages to houses, apartments, and businesses amounting to 1.4 billion euros on average from 2000 to 2009.

The recent heatwave underscores that climate change continues to progress. The GDV's statistics only cover insured damages, meaning that all German houses are insured against storms and hail under compulsory building insurance, but not against flooding and other so-called elemental damages. Currently, 59% of residential houses are insured against elemental risks such as flooding or heavy rain.