Almost five months after the flood disaster on the Ahr and Erft, German insurers have reported that they have paid more than a third of the insured damage so far.
"Over three billion euros have already been paid out to our customers to repair the damage to household items, residential buildings, businesses and vehicles," said the general manager of the German Insurance Association (GDV), Jörg Asmussen, on Tuesday in Berlin.
The GDV currently expects to have to replace total damage of 8.2 billion euros.
The material damage thus significantly exceeded that of the August floods in 2002 and storm Kyrill in 2007.
More than 180 people died in the natural disaster.
Asmussen said that only a good third of the damage had been paid for so far, because the insurers did not pay out a lump sum, but financed the reconstruction of a building.
This will be done as quickly as possible.
“But it will take some time until all the heavily damaged buildings are rebuilt.
And only then did all the funds flow. "
Of the benefits paid out so far, those affected in North Rhine-Westphalia received over 1.7 billion euros.
Insurance customers in Rhineland-Palatinate accounted for around 950 million euros, while the remaining 350 million euros were paid out mainly in Bavaria and Saxony.