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Today whenever a North Sea storm blows over a tree, floods a basement, or knocks over a bistro table, the media screams global warming climate change – proof that storms today are harder and more frequent, they claim. The reinsurers echo that and jack up their premiums.

Hamburg storm of 1962

Today is the 50th anniversary of the great storm of 1962, which with winds peaking at 200 km/hr hit Hamburg, Germany particularly hard. More than 50 dikes burst as the tide surged and submerged one sixth of the city. Imagine if that heppened today!

In total, the homes of about 60,000 people were destroyed, and the death toll amounted to 347 in Hamburg alone.

The European storm of 1953 – the worst in 500 years

It caused floods that took 2,000 lives. Holland was worst hit. Dikes gave way and flooded towns all across Europe.

Other great European storm disasters (when CO2 was 280 ppm):

17 Feb. 1164: Julian Flood, 20,000 dead.

16 Jan. 1219: 1st Marcellus Flood Reportedly 36,000 dead

14 Dec. 1287: St. Lucia’s Flood 50,000 dead

16 Jan. 1362: 2nd Marcellus Flood 100,000 dead.

1 Nov. 1570: All Saint’s Flood over 20,000 dead

11 Oct. 1634: Burchardi Flood, at least 8,000 dead

24 Dec. 1717: Christmas Flood; 14,000 dead

Read more here from the Munich Re!