Enhanced Weather Conditions: Strategies to Reinforce Houses for Enhanced Resiliency - Engaging Climate: Strategies for Enhancing Residential Resilience to Severe Weather Conditions
A Year After the Great Flood: Bolstering Home Safety Against Future Weather Extremes
One year has passed since the catastrophic floods, caused by excessive rainfall in late May and early June 2024, devastated Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and adjacent regions. The toll was high, with lives lost and an estimated damage of 4.1 billion euros in both states, according to the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and other sources.
The German Insurance Association (GDV) projected that the total value of insured damages amounted to 2 billion euros, undifferentiated between the states. This flood was one of the most severe in terms of insured damages when compared to recent history.
Approximately 55,000 addresses in the country are currently deemed at risk of flooding. The majority of these properties are situated in the Rastatt district of Baden-Württemberg, followed by the Main-Tauber district and the Rems-Murr district.
As climate change increases the frequency of weather extremes, such disasters may become more common in Germany, predicts Anja Kafer-Rohrbach, deputy CEO of the GDV. Future flooding events may incur damages in the billions, insurers warn.
To minimize the risk for existing and new buildings, homeowners and builders can take proactive measures. Architect Sven Haustein of Sparkasse Schwäbisch Hall offers suggestions:
- Careful Site Selection: When constructing new buildings, it is preferable to choose locations strategically, avoiding rivers, floodplains, and steep slopes. Adjusting the elevation of the land or shaping it to facilitate water drainage away from the building can also help.
- Robust Construction: Focusing on sturdy facade materials, storm-resistant roofs, and high-quality windows helps provide protection against wind and weather damage. Additionally, roofs should be anchored with storm hooks, solid nailings, and reinforced connections.
- Basement Sealing: The execution should be informed by a soil report. Light wells and basement windows need extra protection as well.
- Rain and Wastewater Management: Combining cisterns, infiltration areas, and backflow preventers can help prevent flooding.
Although the flood disaster of 2024 has sparked renewed conversations about compulsory insurance for flood damage, only around half of the buildings in Germany are currently insured against so-called natural hazards, according to the GDV. In Baden-Württemberg, this percentage is already 94 percent, likely due to historical reasons. Some insurers advocate for a ban on building in floodplains.
In addition to these measures, strategies such as installing flood barriers, raising foundation levels, and ensuring appropriate insurance coverage can further help protect homes against future flooding events. Researching directly from the GDV and Sven Haustein's resources can provide more specific advice tailored to individual situations.
- Recognizing the rising threat of climate change on weather extremes in EC countries, specifically focusing on environmental science like weather forecasting and climate-change research, could potentially help mitigate future disasters, such as the catastrophic floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, according to Anja Kafer-Rohrbach, deputy CEO of the German Insurance Association (GDV).
- Vocational training and education on sustainable construction policies, including science-based repertoires for resilient buildings and eco-friendly designs, could empower homeowners, architects, and builders in EC countries to build homes that can withstand weather extremes, reducing the impact of disasters like the 2024 floods.
- Critical adaptation of employment policy in EC countries can involve incentivizing and supporting environmental science-focused careers, particularly within industries like construction, urban planning, and sustainable infrastructure, possibly reducing the devastating effects of natural disasters like flooding on the European economy.
