Natural catastrophe events in Germany caused damages of €3bn in the 1H2022

The German Insurance Association (GDV) has said that natural catastrophe events caused damages of around €3bn.

2023 has been an above-average claims year. The winter storm series “Ylenia”, “Zeynep” and “Antonia” in February alone caused almost 50% of the damage at €1.4 bn. This makes the storm series the third most severe.

Of the €3bn in total damages, €2.5bn is related to residential buildings, household goods, and businesses. Only about half of homeowners in Germany are insured against natural hazards.

Climate change is progressing. We are currently on a path that, at three degrees, is well above the 1.5-degree threshold of the Paris climate agreement.

By 2026 we could already exceed this threshold. Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change.

In May of this year, the “Emmelinde” tornado caused severe damage in Paderborn, Höxter and Lippstadt. Motor insurers also registered slightly more claims than usual in the year’s first half at €500m.

The GDV expects the long-term average damage from storms and hail for the first half of 2022 to be around €1bn.

No significant damages came from floods or heavy rain in the year’s first half.

This is far below the expected value, considering that in 2021, the GDV estimated around €9bn of damages were a result of flooding and heavy rain.

by Yana Keller