Extreme rain, hail and wind can cause a lot of damage in the Netherlands. Fortunately, most Dutch people are well insured against storm damage. Due to the changing climate, insurers expect the damage to increase.
The Dutch are usually well insured against storm damage. Most private home insurance policies cover storm damage. This applies to the house, the contents of the house and to fences. Home insurers often apply a deductible. Cars with third-party insurance (limited hull) or all-risk insurance (hull) are insured against damage caused by storms. About two-thirds of the vehicle fleet in the Netherlands has this type of insurance.
Based on submitted claims, the Dutch Association of Insurers can map out how much damage a storm has caused after a few months. This only concerns insured damage on the contents, building and car insurance. The total damage is therefore even higher. In 2016, for example, the hailstorm caused more than 200 million euros worth of damage to greenhouses. But also think of crops on the land, transport, business interruption and infrastructure. This damage is not taken into account in the overview below.
Click on the image to open the interactive dashboard:
If a storm sweeps across the Netherlands, the Data Analytics Centre (DAC) of the Dutch Association of Insurers can make an initial estimate of the damage. If the storm is mainly of a local nature, this is not possible. If an estimate can be made, it is largely based on historical damage data. We do know how much damage previous storms have caused. By combining this historical data with factors such as the weather and the day of the week, we can make a (conservative) estimate. Warnings are also becoming increasingly possible. Coupled with measures, this has a dampening effect on the damage.
Based on future scenarios from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI ), it is expected that extreme rain, hail and drought will increase as a result of climate change. Climate change seems to have less of an impact on storms with extreme gusts of wind. Insurers worldwide see the consequences of climate change reflected in their figures.
Increasing extreme weather is causing more nuisance and damage to individuals, entrepreneurs and companies. Think of flooded streets, houses and business premises due to too much precipitation in a short period of time. In addition, everyone still remembers the violent storm in January 2018, in which even roofs were blown off buildings. To help citizens and businesses prevent as much damage as possible caused by severe weather, the Dutch Association of Insurers shares prevention tips.
