Protection against flooding: How to properly secure your home in Bavaria!

Protection against flooding: How to properly secure your home in Bavaria!

Natural hazard insurance is currently only used by around half of households in Bavaria. This is notable because this insurance covers essential risk in the event of natural hazards such as floods, snowfall, earthquakes and landslides. Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) recently spoke out in favor of a general obligation for natural hazard insurance in order to protect against the financial consequences of these dangers. She emphasizes that standard homeowners insurance does not provide sufficient protection because it does not cover such natural hazards as: BR reported.

The Bavarian Consumer Center recommends that owners supplement their home insurance with natural hazard insurance or, if necessary, change if the current conditions are not appropriate. The availability and cost of insurance coverage varies significantly, particularly in high-risk areas. Annual contributions can be between 5,000 and 7,000 euros.

Flood risk classes and prevention

The flood risk classes play a crucial role when it comes to determining insurance coverage and its level. These classes range from low risk (class 1) to very frequent flood areas (class 4). Only 1.5% of buildings in Germany are affected by classes 3 and 4. What is new is the introduction of a heavy rain risk class, which requires additional tariffs from insurers. However, over 99% of all residential buildings in Bavaria can be insured without further risk assessment

However, restrictions in the availability of insurance coverage may occur in high-risk areas. The German craft newspaper highlights that homeowners should use individual state risk and hazard maps to better assess their specific risk. Insurers' online tools can provide additional information about risk classes and help find the right insurance.

Insurance coverage and contract conclusion

Natural hazard insurance is necessary to mitigate the financial consequences of floods and other natural hazards. The insurance usually covers the costs of repairs, clean-up work, demolition and reconstruction after an event of damage. In addition, hotel costs can be covered if the building is uninhabitable. This insurance is often offered together with residential building or household contents insurance, making it the central protection for many homeowners.

When choosing natural hazard insurance, homeowners should make sure that the insured sum is high enough to cover the full repair costs. It is also important that gross negligence and the costs of decontamination of the soil are included in the policy. Before concluding the contract, at least three offers should be obtained to ensure a fair comparison.

Additional prevention measures, such as backflow flaps, infiltration options or flood walls, can help maintain insurance coverage in high-risk areas. Older buildings can also be retrofitted, although the specific location should always be taken into account in order to be accepted by the insurance company. These steps are particularly important because new buildings should not be built in flood risk areas.