Climate crisis: How to protect your house from flood risks!

Climate crisis: How to protect your house from flood risks!

On May 25, 2025, the debate about climate change and its devastating consequences in Germany will become increasingly urgent. A crucial aspect is the damage caused by extreme weather events. The latest reports showed that the flood in June 2024 in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg was one of the most severe flood events in the recent past, with damage totaling over 4.1 billion euros. GDV estimates that the insured losses are around 2 billion euros, which underlines the need for risk reduction measures as climate change becomes more and more noticeable. According to [t-online.de](https://www.t-online.de/region/stuttgart/id_100738752/extremwetter-wie-haeuser-jetzt-sicherer- Werden.html), around 55,000 of over three million addresses in Baden-Württemberg are at risk of flooding.

In particular, the Rastatt district, the Main-Tauber district and the Rems-Murr district are among the most affected areas. Anja Käfer-Rohrbach, the deputy general manager of GDV, warned that we will have to expect an increase in such natural disasters in the future if we do not take targeted action against the consequences of climate change. The GDV therefore offers a free flood check to assess the risk.

Growing risks from climate change

Climate change is causing an increasing frequency of natural disasters not only in Germany but worldwide. The 2023 Natural Hazards Report highlights that damage caused by natural hazards in property and motor vehicle insurance already amounted to 5.6 billion euros in 2023 alone. This shows a frightening development that also points to society's inadequate preparation for such extreme events, as the GDV reports.

Jörg Asmussen, General Manager of the GDV, emphasizes the urgent need for bold measures to adapt to changing climate conditions. In a comprehensive collection of data that can also be used for climate research purposes, the report shows that damage from climate change impacts is expected to be at least twice as high by 2050. The focus is on extreme weather events such as heavy rain, floods, storms, hail and fires. There is a clear need for action, even if only about every second building in Germany is insured against natural hazards.

Important protective measures

Architects like Sven Haustein give advice on how homeowners can protect their buildings against the consequences of floods and other natural disasters. It should be noted that many owners mistakenly rely only on their building insurance without taking further protective measures. In Baden-Württemberg, the proportion of insured buildings is 94 percent, but active risk reduction through suitable structural measures is just as important.

In order to minimize the damage caused by future flood events, insurers are even calling for a ban on construction in flood areas. This illustrates how serious the situation is and how important it is to take both preventive measures and to raise awareness of the risks of climate change in society as a whole.

The ongoing discussion about the consequences of climate change makes it clear that a comprehensive strategy is necessary to ensure the long-term safety of our infrastructure and buildings. The challenges of climate change can only be met through targeted measures and greater awareness among the population.

The 2023 Natural Hazards Report is also published annually and provides comprehensive data on the damage caused by natural hazards. This is intended to serve as an important source of information for society in order to be better prepared for the risks and to derive necessary measures from them. Further information can be found on the official GDV website.