Floods in Germany: One document is particularly important in the event of damage

Severe storms are expected in Germany. Households should take all safety precautions to protect their homes and cars. In many cases, however, the weather phenomena are so severe that serious damage can occur.

As a rule of thumb, most insurers’ terms and conditions only refer to a storm as wind force 8 or higher. At this wind force, the wind sweeps through towns at a speed of at least 62 kilometers per hour.

For this reason, victims are often required to provide proof that the wind strength at the insured location was above this value.

This is a “weather report”. The relevant proof can be requested from a weather service or the weather office in your place of residence.

“We therefore recommend that, in order to facilitate the collection of evidence, all damage to other buildings in the area be documented and that other affected building owners be contacted,” explains David Sahlender from the insurance law firm Wittig Ünalp.

The following applies to injured parties: The more evidence they provide, the better.

What should those affected do in the event of damage?

Households should definitely take videos and photos and document the damage precisely. Make a note of when exactly the damage occurred (time and date). Sort the photos and videos into the categories house, furniture and car. Send these files together with the damage report to your responsible insurance company.

The best way to do this is to use your insurance company’s online forms. Since the telephone lines of the major insurers are usually overloaded after a storm, you should only report damage via the Internet. At the same time, inform your insurance advisor about the damage. The insurance company usually sends a confirmation email after receiving the damage report. Be sure to keep this.

Which insurance company is responsible now?

Storm damage to property is not automatically covered by building or contents insurance.

Pure building or home contents insurance, for example, does not cover damage caused by the effects of natural forces. This includes numerous types of damage caused by heavy rain, hail, lightning, tornadoes, avalanches or floods. Consumer advice centers told FOCUS Online that only half of all private homes are insured against damage caused by high water and flooding.

If you want to protect your house or apartment against storms, you will also need natural hazard insurance. However, this is subject to certain conditions.

For example, the insurance company wants to know how the damage occurred. This is another reason why those affected should take photos and videos of the inside and outside. Natural hazard insurance is not available separately, but only as an addition to an existing home contents or building insurance policy.

Check that all damage has been bypassed

Much of the storm damage to the house and garden is obvious and visible.

Some things, however, were only discovered much later. Those affected should look for damage after the storm in order to avoid long-term consequences. You should especially pay attention to the following points:

• Damage to the roof
• Moisture damage to the roof structure and windows
• Stability of trees in the garden
• Clogged, damaged or wobbly gutters

When can I expect compensation?

Patience is required. The payment of the insurance sum often takes a long time, especially when larger amounts are involved. This is because the insurance companies examine each claim carefully with their own assessors.

What can you do if the insurance doesn’t pay?

If you have not taken out natural hazard insurance and the insurance company refuses to pay, the federal and state governments may be able to help. However, there are no corresponding applications for this yet. Those affected can submit invoices for repairs and with their tax return for 2022, and these will then be taken into account.

Who pays if the car is damaged?

Partial insurance can cover storm damage to cars, motorcycles, mobile homes or caravans. This generally applies to damage for which no third party can be held responsible, according to the Association of Insured Persons (BdV).

This means that vehicles are insured against hurricane-force winds, storms, hail, lightning strikes or fire, and there is protection in the event of damage, destruction, total loss or loss of the vehicle and the co-insured parts.

The cost of replacing the vehicle is covered by comprehensive insurance. Depending on the tariff, different deductibles can be agreed, according to the BdV. Anyone who only has the mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance must pay for the damage out of their own pocket.

The following also applies here: Take photos and videos, document times, describe the situation and report the damage to the insurance company.

What applies to tenants?

If the apartment is only partially usable or not usable at all due to storm damage, you have the right to a rent reduction, explains the Munich Tenants’ Association. This is the case, for example, if windows and doors have been damaged. However, the defect must be reported to the landlord beforehand. It is good if tenants also document the damage. Here, too, the following applies: provide evidence, including photos, videos, documents from the weather station.

Depending on the extent, reductions of varying amounts are possible: If the property is uninhabitable, the rent can be reduced by 100 percent. If the damage is less severe, the reduction will also be smaller.