Nature forces cause billions in damage - this is how your region is affected!

Nature forces cause billions in damage - this is how your region is affected!

Bayern, Deutschland - Natural hazards in Germany caused considerable damage last year. According to information from Merkur , the damage to material and vehicle insurance added to 5.7 billion euros. The federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg were particularly affected, where more than half of the damage were registered. Flood events in May and June led to damage of over four billion euros, of which about half was insured.

regional differences and damage amounts

Baden-Württemberg recorded the highest insured damage with 1.601 billion euros, followed by Bavaria at 1.600 billion euros. North Rhine-Westphalia had the third highest insured damage with 613 million euros. In Lower Saxony, 313 million euros were reported to damage, Hesse 252 million euros, the Saarland 171 million euros, and Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxons each 166 million euros. Bremen had the lowest damage at 17 million euros, followed by Berlin (39 million euros) and Hamburg (67 million euros).

A look at Rhineland-Palatinate shows that the damage caused by natural hazards last year was in the three-digit million range, a total of 166 million euros, which corresponds to a decline compared to the 325 million euros of the previous year. This information confirms the general trend that the damage due to storms and floods concentrate strongly on the affected regions. The Süddeutsche also reports on these developments to take climate change seriously.

climate change as a central factor

Jörg Asmussen, General Manager of the GDV, emphasizes the growing challenges through the effects of climate change. He demands from the new federal government to prioritize the adaptation to climate impacts. Asmussen explains that compulsory insurance alone is not enough to reduce the damage. Instead, a comprehensive concept for handling natural hazards is necessary, which improves social preparation for extreme weather events.

The forecasts are worrying: by 2050, an increase in damage due to climate consequences that could at least double will be expected. The data on the influence of natural hazards on the German insurance industry show the need for attentive preparation in cities, infrastructures and buildings. The annual natural hazard report, as published on the GDV-Website offers comprehensive data and analyzes on this topic.

He found that extreme weather events such as heavy rain and floods not only occur regularly, but also increase significantly, which underlines the urgency of the measures to combat climate change.