German flood claims to approach €5 billion

AIR Worldwide estimates insured losses in Germany from July flooding could approach €5 billion. This includes losses to insured physical damage to property (residential, commercial, industrial, auto, agriculture), both structures and their contents, from both on- and off-floodplain flooding. 

Low pressure system “Bernd” parked itself over central Europe and brought about significant flooding from 13 to 18 July. Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia regions were particularly affected, experiencing heavy and, in some cases, historic rainfall amounts.

The border region between the German states of Bavaria, Thuringia, and Saxony being affected by localised flooding as well. Impacted German rivers with notable gauge readings include the tributaries of the Mosel and Rhine rivers, some of which reached historically high levels.

One area that was especially hard hit is the Ahr valley, which is named after the Ahr River, a left tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. All along the Ahr River, homes were flooded and bridges were broken; in the village of Schuld most buildings were destroyed.

Also heavily affected were the mountainous areas in the border region between the southeasternmost region of Germany and the Austrian states of Salzburg and Tirol. Affected communities include Hallein, Kufstein, and various communities in the region of Berchtesgaden. Communities in the German state of Saxony were also affected—especially in the mountain range Saxon Switzerland.

The restoration of infrastructure such as water and gas pipes, power lines, and roads could take weeks or even months, according to some estimates, which could lead to loss inflation effects.

Other countries and regions that experienced flooding include Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands’ southernmost province Limburg, but these regions are not included in AIR’s loss estimate.

AIR notes that many reinsurance contracts are subject to an hours clause (typically 504 hours for flood events). Given the duration of this event, AIR expects the flood to be treated as a single occurrence in Germany.