Summer floods caused up to €250 million in damages

The floods in Limburg and Noord-Brabant this past summer caused between 160 million and 250 million euros in insured damage, the Dutch association of Insurers estimated. Insurers received approximately 25,000 claims, the majority of which relate to damage to homes and private vehicles. The majority of all claims have now been settled.

Most reports (about 15,600) came from Limburg. Some 22,300 of all claims came from private individuals, and about 70 percent of these are settled. Approximately 2,500 claims concerned business damage, half of which has now been paid. According to the Dutch Association of Insurers, processing takes a relatively long time because the damage is large and complex. There is also scarcity in the construction industry, and the pandemic is delaying work.

Due to the busyness in the construction sector, it is difficult to get enough construction material and personnel for repair work. The damage settlement also takes a long time because an insurer only sees water damage as fully resolved when the damage has dried up entirely and has been repaired. With significant water damage, drying can take months.