Severe flooding across Central Europe in September has led to widespread destruction, with insured losses expected to range from €2 billion (US$2.2 billion) to €3 billion (US$3.4 billion), according to estimates from global data analytics firm Verisk.
The most affected areas include the border region between Poland and Czechia. As of mid-September, Polish authorities reported extensive damage to over 11,500 residential buildings and more than 6,000 agricultural and commercial properties. In addition, over 700 public structures, including schools and administrative buildings, were either submerged or heavily damaged.
In Czechia, insurers had already received more than 60,000 claims by late September, with insured losses amounting to CZK 19.3 billion (€770 million or $850 million). Roughly 60% of these claims are related to business insurance. Although Vienna was largely protected by flood defenses, surrounding areas in Lower Austria experienced devastating damage from the River Wien, a Danube tributary.
Authorities described the severity of the flooding in some areas as a once-in-a-millennium event. Other European countries, including Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Italy, also experienced varying degrees of flooding.
Insurance coverage for flood damage differs across the region. While Austria and Czechia have high levels of coverage, Poland sees far less flood insurance for residential properties, though commercial risks are more comprehensively insured.
Verisk’s estimates account for insured damages to property and business interruption but exclude losses to uninsured properties and infrastructure, as well as other non-modeled losses.
