The bad weather causes ever more frequent and more expensive damage. The number of claims increased by 126% compared to the period 1995-2004 and their cost jumped 133%, according to a study by the Helvetia insurer. Hail is the main cost factor.
The accumulation of natural events between 2021 and 2024 is “exceptional”, underlines the insurance company on Thursday in a press release. All types of natural events have increased: storm, floods, landslides, scraps of stones or even hail, Helvetia list.
“The evolution is particularly clear” for the damage caused by the latter, adds Helvetia. The number of damages announced has increased by 366% in the past ten years, while the amount of damage exploded (+490%). Half (51%) of claims benefits compensated by Helvetia between 2015 and 2024 are due to hail.
Climate change
This increase is clearly linked to climate change, according to Adrian Kollegger, member of the Swiss Helvetia management committee. “We expect the amount of damage caused by climate change continues to increase,” he added, quoted in the press release
Warming does not only lead to more frequent and more intense storms. He also melts the permafrost into the Alps, which “fundamentally” changes the state of threats. Instead of the high “classic” waters, there are more and more surface events such as landslides, mudslides, rock landslides and stone falls.
The figures illustrate this scenario: the amount of damage has increased by 50% in the field of storms and 72% for landslides/stone falls/rock landslides.
Stability until 2015
Helvetia analyzed the data running from 1990 to 2024. According to her, the total number of bad weather remained generally constant until the mid -2010s, with the notable exception of the Lothar storm in 1999 and the 2005 floods in the Alps.
Since 2015, however, we have been witnessing a sharp increase in disasters. And it may not be over: growing urbanization, infrastructure extensions and the development of new areas will further increase risks in the years to come, both in Switzerland and in the world, warns Helvetia.
This article was published automatically. Source: ATS
