In 2022, “climatic claims are already reaching an unprecedented cost over the last twenty years”, specifies France insurers.
This is an impressive figure, which underlines the growing costs of weather damage. According to France insurers, which brings together players in the sector, since the end of May, the multiple natural events that have hit France have caused significant damage, for which insurers will pay “compensation estimated at 3.9 billion euros“. A level never reached.
In a few weeks, the territory has experienced episodes of hail, violent storms, lightning and gusts of wind, explains the organization in a press release published on Tuesday July 12. These events were noted in particular between June 18 and July 4. During this period, 624,000 claims were recorded by insurers, for a total cost estimated at “2.4 billion euros“. The lion’s share concerns damage caused to cars, for 1.08 billion euros, or to homes, for 1.07 billion euros, specifies France insurers. The rest includes professional goods, for 190 million euros, and agricultural goods, for 80 million euros.
Episodes deemed “exceptional”
These hundreds of thousands of damages are added to those recorded between the end of May and the beginning of June. During this period,355,000 claimswere raised, resulting in compensation estimated at 1.5 billion euros. The final bill is therefore close to 4 billion euros, an exceptionally high amount. In 2022, “climate-related disasters are already reaching an unprecedented cost over the past twenty years“, specifies the document.
More broadly, insurers are worried about exceptional climatic episodes which have an increasingly high cost. Recalling “the climate emergency“, the president of the representative organization, Florence Lustman, underlines the character “particularly intense” of the last bad weather, and recalls the importance of good prevention “in the face of such climatic hazards».
Since May, France has experienced several particularly violent storms, for example in Vienne, Sarthe, Deux-Sèvres or Charentes. Images of hailstones the size of tennis balls have also been shared by netizens on social media.