Flood victims: What does insurance pay? -burgenland.ORF.at

It will take days, maybe even weeks, to clean everything and remove the traces left by the water. Those affected in Seagate in the Wart and in Wuppendorf (Oberwart region) are also still suffering from the consequences of the storm. “The heating system is broken, all the electrical appliances are broken, all the furniture in the basement that was installed is broken, the floor is broken,” said Ernest Thicke of Seagate. Monica Thewald's freezer, refrigerator, washing machine and furniture also fell victim to the flood.

During the clean-up work, the question quickly arises: who pays for the damage caused by flooding and floods? “We'll take a look at insurance first, but I think you'll definitely need a lot of additional insurance in case of flooding,” fears Annemarie Jurasics of Siget in the Wart. Until now, the cellars had never been so full.

Insurance often covers only part of the damage

Lines at insurance companies are getting hot these days. Typical insurance policies come to families and homeowners, but in extreme cases they often cover only a small portion of the damage amount. “You often lose personal items, and the financial damages are limited in disaster coverage, which usually doesn't cover that 100 percent compensation,” says UNIQA Insurance National Director Herbert Kaiser.

Damage coverage for homes located in hazard zones is often lower

If the home is located in a HORA zone, i.e. in a hazard zone, the amount of covered damage is often much less. “Of course there are also insurance companies in the HORA area where natural disaster coverage is no longer available,” Kaiser explained. Those affected are often surprised by the small details in insurance contracts. The Chamber of Commerce here refers to the HORA platform of the Federal Ministry. You can easily determine if your home is located in a hazardous area using the online HORA map.

However, it is important to document the damage well and record it in as much detail as possible. If you document video and photos, it will be easier to get what you insured in the event of damage, Kaiser advises.

Help from the state, WK and relief organizations

However, there is still a lot of damage that is not covered by insurance. The country wants help here. The current maximum compensation from the Disaster Protection Fund will be lifted and assistance with damage collection will also be provided – more on this in Doskozil Guarantees Flood Assistance. President Andreas Wirth announced that hard-hit companies would receive money from the Chamber of Commerce Relief Fund. Private aid organizations are also willing to help with fundraising and fundraising campaigns. However, it probably won't be possible to replace everything you've lost these days.