Saxon Switzerland with highest damage due to storms
The district of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains has suffered the most severe damage from extreme weather in the country over the past 20 years. Storms, hail and flooding have caused an average of 11,400 euros in damage per building there, according to the German Insurance Association (GDV) based on its new long-term balance sheet. The city of Dresden (around 8700 euros) and the district of Meißen (7400) follow in second place. The insurance companies attribute this primarily to the immense damage caused by the floods in August 2002.
The Vogtland region in Saxony got off the lightest between 2002 and 2021. An average loss of around 1700 euros per building was calculated for the district. This puts the region below the national average of 2900 euros. The damage in the city of Leipzig and the districts of Bautzen and Erzgebirge was also lower than the national average, while the district of Zwickau was around the average value.
According to the insurers, only around half of the buildings in Saxony (51 percent) are insured against damage caused by natural hazards and are therefore also covered for the consequences of extreme weather. The association also called for binding measures with regard to the consequences of man-made climate change. "If the federal and state governments do not provide adequate protection for homes and cities, building insurance will become very expensive and many owners and tenants will be considerably burdened," explained GDV Managing Director Jörg Asmussen. Without prevention, it will not be possible to close the insurance gap for natural hazards.
In light of the extensive damage, many insurance claims are expected after the recent storms in Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains, the district with the highest damage due to natural disasters in Germany over the past 20 years. Despite the prevalence of disasters, only half of the buildings in Saxony are insured against natural hazards, according to the German Insurance Association (GDV).
Source: www.dpa.com
