Hail nightmare: Gardener Bürkle fights against natural forces in Remseck!

Hail nightmare: Gardener Bürkle fights against natural forces in Remseck!

Many people in the Ludwigsburg district and the Rems-Murr district have an uneasy feeling about the changeable weather conditions that have recently hit the regions. Gardener Peter Bürkle from Remseck in particular reports an unforgettable experience. After he was surprised by a violent hailstorm in July 2024 with grain after grain over 5 cm in diameter, he had to cope with massive damage of around 400,000 euros. Plants that were damaged by splinters ultimately had to be disposed of, and buildings and vehicles were also not left unscathed. Bürkle has since increased his insurance and pays 26,000 euros in insurance premiums annually, but cannot protect himself from all damage - due to the lack of safe greenhouses, he will always remain somewhat in the dark. Unfortunately, for its neighbors and the entire region, this uncertainty is not an isolated case.

Storms and hail in particular pose a threat not only to agriculture, but also to private households. The consumer advice center explains that environmental damage to roofs, cellars and vehicles should be covered by appropriate insurance. In the event of hail, building insurance is responsible for damage to the roof or windows and partial comprehensive insurance for vehicles. In the event of damage, those affected should act quickly and inform the insurance companies immediately so that the repairs can be started quickly. The damage caused by such storms can be enormous and adds up. In 2023 alone, various weather events caused insurance losses amounting to 5.7 billion euros, a dramatic increase compared to the previous year.

Hail-free zones? A pipe dream?

A look into the future shows that concern about such extreme weather phenomena is constantly increasing. According to meteorologists, more frequent and more intense storms are to be expected due to the climate crisis. The general manager of GDV, Jörg Asmussen, explains that protection in the form of compulsory insurance against natural hazards is urgently needed. Currently, around 54 percent of all residential buildings are insured against natural hazards - hardly sufficient protection when you consider the enormous damage caused in Bavaria and Hesse in 2023.

In order to be better protected in an emergency, the authorities recommend taking protective measures. The Rems-Murr district recommends the use of hail nets in fruit growing and the use of hail fliers, although their effectiveness is difficult to prove. The outlook also remains a challenge for local gardeners and farmers. Given the increasing number of storm damages, nervous expectations about the weather are omnipresent, especially when a weather warning is announced. The NINA warning app offers a valuable service so that you can be quickly informed and take appropriate measures.

Whether in the garden or in the car: If you want to protect yourself against unpredictable weather, you should choose the right insurance - and act promptly and safely. Nature gives no reason to be certain, and the capricious weather also turns every thunderstorm into an individual risk.

Bürkle and his colleagues remain hopeful that future storms will be milder and the damage will be minimized. Maybe before the next big storm it's time to review your insurance and consider taking bold steps towards better protection.

For further details on the topics mentioned, you can read the reports from swr.de, Browse through verbraucherzentrale.de and tagesschau.de.