Insurers receive new claims after heavy rain in Estonia’s Pärnu
In Estonia’s Pärnu, insurance companies continue to receive claims from clients after heavy rainfall caused flooding on city streets, roads and in buildings. Water most often damaged basements, garages and ground floors of houses, ERR News reports.
The number of claims is rising
As of Tuesday morning, ERGO had received 59 claims related to flooding in Pärnu. Most reports concern home insurance, while fewer claims have been filed for vehicle damage. According to the insurer, water also entered premises through roofs, and in some cases flooding occurred due to backflow in the sewage system.
By the end of the working day on Monday, Swedbank P&C Insurance had received around 100 claims. The company said it was still too early to assess the final scale of losses, as some cases are still under review and damage assessments are ongoing. Due to the large number of simultaneous reports, their processing may take longer.
As of Monday afternoon, If Kindlustus had received 60 claims: 45 under home insurance, 10 under comprehensive car insurance policies, and five under business insurance. According to the company’s preliminary data, the most serious damage was suffered by buildings where water remained for a long time and affected not only structures but also technical systems.
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Terms of insurance compensation
Insurers stress that coverage for flood damage depends on the terms of the specific contract. At If, the risks of flooding and rainwater entering a building are included in three main home insurance packages. At the same time, compensation may not be paid if the owner failed to follow basic safety measures — for example, left windows or doors open despite warnings of heavy rain or a storm.
Swedbank recommends reporting damage as soon as possible, pumping out water where possible, drying the premises, photographing the consequences, and making a list of damaged property. The company also advises keeping receipts and other documents related to drying the premises and preventing further losses.
Heavy rain overloaded the sewage system
Heavy rain hit Pärnu on Friday morning and overloaded the sewage system. Streets and roads in the city were flooded, and water also entered buildings. More than 100 millimeters of precipitation fell in different parts of the city, and in some places more than 120 millimeters. The city had an action plan for floods caused by rising sea levels, but not for excessive precipitation.
