Extreme weather caused €465 mil. in damages last year

Last year, Dutch insurers paid out over 465 million euros in weather-related damages to individuals and businesses. That is significantly higher than the average of 325 million euros per year since 2007, the association of insurers VVV reported in its second climate monitor on Tuesday.

The province of Limburg reported the most weather-related damages last year, mostly due to the summer floods. Insurers paid out a total of 210 million euros in flood damage last year - 180 million euros to individuals for damage to homes and cars, among other things, and the other 30 million euros to businesses.

Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, and Zuid-Holland were also hit hard by weather damage last year. After the flooding in Limburg, storms caused the most damage last year, for example, through trees blown down onto cars and homes.

Most of 2021’s weather damage occurred in the summer and spring. The biggest damage days were on 14 and 15 July, when the Limburg floods caused 210 million euros in damage, and on 18 June, when a summer storm caused 75 million euros in damage.

The insurers note that damage peaks are getting higher and higher as the weather turns increasingly extreme. “That’s why adapting to the climate and taking preventive measures is so important. You can prevent over 20 percent of the damage with that,” said VVV director Richard Weurding. “If we do nothing, it will cost all Dutch people a lot more. Not only in money, but also in the sense of security, because the impact of weather damage on your home and environment is enormous.”