Flood, storm, hail: who covers what in Luxembourg

Your home: storm as standard, flooding case by case

Cover as listed on the insurers’ websites in September 2026; limits, excesses and exclusions are in the policy terms. Two terms matter in these policies: sewer backup, when drains back up after heavy rain, even far from any river, and rainwater run-off. Check that both are covered, not just a river bursting its banks. Read the exclusions too: AXA, for example, excludes from Sérénité Max rising groundwater unrelated to rainfall and permanent damp.

Your car: third-party liability is not enough

Third-party liability, the only compulsory car insurance, covers damage you cause to others, never damage to your own vehicle. Against hail, storm or flooding, you need a dedicated guarantee:

• Foyer: the “Forces of Nature” guarantee protects a vehicle parked outdoors against lightning, hail, falling trees, flooding or earthquakes.
• LALUX: forces of nature cover is included from the Comfort formula of easyPROTECT Auto and covers hail and storms in particular; on the Security formula, it comes with a pack that also covers theft and collision with a stray animal.
• AXA: “Animal collision / natural events” comes with the Active + Mini Casco and Privilege plans of OptiDrive, not with the Active plan alone.
• Baloise: natural disasters are part of the damage pack, optional on the Drive Essentielle plan and included in the Intégrale plan.

Finding out whether you are exposed

• Flood hazard maps: the Water Management Administration publishes on geoportail.lu, for the whole country, the areas likely to flood under three scenarios, 10-year, 100-year and extreme floods, with extent and water depth.
• Heavy rain hazard maps: published in May 2021 for the whole country, they show where surface run-off can flood during heavy rain, with water depth, extent and flow speed.
• Water levels and alerts: inondations.public.lu shows current alerts and river levels, generally updated every 15 minutes, with forecasts published every hour.

If your address is in a flood zone or exposed to run-off, flood cover is no longer a detail: it is the first thing to compare.

When the water arrives

• Limit the damage: the law requires you to take all reasonable steps to prevent and mitigate the consequences of the loss.
• Document it: photos before any clean-up, the level the water reached, damaged items kept if possible until the expert visits, receipts.
• Report quickly, as soon as possible and within the deadline set in the policy; our article on reporting a claim sets out the steps and the insurers’ assistance numbers.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Is flooding included, or do you need to add a cover or an option?
• Are sewer backup and run-off named, in addition to rivers overflowing?
• Which limits and which excess apply to natural events?
• What is excluded, for example rising groundwater or belongings stored in the basement?
• Does your car spend the night outside? Check that hail and falling trees are covered.

Tenants and owners do not insure the same things: see our article on home insurance for tenants and owners, and our Luxembourg home insurance comparison for the other guarantees.