Five Years After the Ahr Valley Flood: Large Majority of Homeowners in Favor of Mandatory Flood Insurance

At the same time, 58 percent of those surveyed expressed concern that a flood like the one in the Ahr Valley and parts of North Rhine-Westphalia could also affect their own region. The Verivox survey also shows clear skepticism toward additional financial burdens: 23 percent of homeowners do not want to bear any additional costs for their property, and almost 12 percent said they could not shoulder any further costs at all.

Survey Shows Approval — and Concerns

Aljoscha Ziller, managing director of Verivox Versicherungsvergleich, pointed out that the issue of climate change has largely disappeared from public perception. "Der Klimawandel ist in der öffentlichen Diskussion in den Hintergrund gerückt," said Ziller. At the same time, he pointed out that the damages suffered by uninsured homeowners are regularly borne by the state and thus by the public at large.

The federal government is examining, according to its own statements, whether a mandatory insurance should be equipped with an opt-out option. The coalition agreement between the Union (CDU/CSU) and the SPD provides for the introduction of mandatory insurance against natural hazards. However, no decision has been made so far.

Insurers Withdrawing from High-Risk Areas

A central problem remains the insurability of particularly at-risk areas. As the report shows, several insurers currently do not offer natural hazards insurance in regions with high flood risk, since damages are virtually inevitable. This means a mandate would miss its mark precisely where it is most urgently needed.

In addition, in recent decades many municipalities have designated building areas in floodplains — despite warning voices. The material damage from the 2021 flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia is estimated at 30 to 40 billion euros.

Consequences of the 2021 Disaster

In the night from July 14 to 15, 2021, a flash flood devastated large parts of the Ahr Valley and surrounding regions. At least 185 people lost their lives, and houses, roads, and bridges were destroyed. On the fifth anniversary of the disaster, the debate about better financial protection for the population is once again coming to the fore.

It remains unclear how a future mandatory insurance scheme will be designed in concrete terms. In particular, it is still open how to deal with homeowners in high-risk zones who are unable to obtain insurance coverage. The question of whether costs should be socially cushioned also remains unanswered.