Rains over Europe

The first minor reports of flooding appeared late last week. Cellars in houses were filling up, and there were some traffic accidents due to the continued heavy rains. On the first June weekend, the situation became acute. In Germany parts of the historic town center of Passau were under water as the Danube rose to one of the highest levels in decades. Emergency workers in Prague were setting up barriers to keep the Vltava river from flooding the city. Many parts of Austria and northern Switzerland were also inundated.

A developing situation

Across the region, numerous schools were closed, businesses were shut down and emergency services moved in. The Czech Republic has announced a state of emergency. Allianz currently does not have an estimate for losses, as the situation is still developing. For people affected by floods in these regions, Allianz has a few basic tips:

1. Alert and evacuated people who need special assistance first.
2. Then turn off all heaters and electrical devices in your cellar.
3. At-risk rooms should be boarded up; sandbags also help.
4. Bring valuable objects into safety, to a higher floor of your house or to another location.
5. Dangerous materials like chemicals need to be removed before the floods become acute.
6. Ascertain that pumps in your cellar are working.
7. A general tip: do not keep valuables in your basement, since it will fill up first.
8. Continue to monitor the situation through radio reports, television and internet.
9. Get yourself to safety.
10. Stay away from river banks and flooded roads. Currents are swift, and there are dangerous objects rushing along in the water.

What to do, if you are affected

After a flood, the most important thing is to limit damages so you can get back to normal as quickly as possible. There are some key points to observe:

• Note the high water mark and document all damages.
• Try to keep additional damages through clean-up activities like pumping water, cleaning and drying to a minimum.
• Before you switch electrical devices back on, you should have them checked, since they could be damaged or even dangerous to use.
• Inform your insurer about your damages and estimated costs. In addition, you should only dispose of damaged objects after speaking with your insurer.

Allianz entities have activated claims hotlines, mobile claims teams are in the regions helping local offices and customers.

Echoing the sentiment of claims teams in all the affected areas, Kurt Benesch, director of Allianz customer service at Allianz Austria, says, „The most important thing now is regulating claims as quickly as possible so that our customers quickly receive their payments.”

As with all content published on this site, these statements are subject to our Forward Looking Statement disclaimer: