Rural Hesse Bears Brunt of Storm Damage Over Two Decades

Forget Frankfurt—Hesse’s quiet countryside suffers the worst storm damage. A 20-year study exposes the hidden financial toll on rural homes.

, and Administrator

2026 January 11 . 1:06 PM

1 min read

In this image there are buildings, bridges, water, architecture, cloudy sky, trees, grass, roads,... — In this image there are buildings, bridges, water, architecture, cloudy sky, trees, grass, roads, vehicles, people, boats and objects.

Rural Hesse Bears Brunt of Storm Damage Over Two Decades

A new analysis of storm and heavy-weather damage in Hesse has revealed surprising trends over the past two decades. While urban areas like Frankfurt and Offenbach am Main often face severe weather, rural and exposed regions in northern and eastern Hesse recorded far higher average costs per building between 2002 and 2021. Offenbach district experienced the most severe weather-related building damage in Hesse over the 20-year period. On average, properties there suffered around €3,400 in losses. Nearby, Offenbach am Main and Frankfurt am Main followed, with average damages of roughly €2,700 per building. The costliest single event was storms Heike and Ingrid in 2020. In Main-Taunus district, these storms caused €22,100 in damage per building—the highest in the dataset. Meanwhile, Lahn-Dill district saw the lowest average losses, at just €1,100 per property. Contrary to expectations, neither Offenbach am Main nor Frankfurt am Main ranked as the top hotspots for storm damage in Hesse. Instead, rural and topographically exposed areas—such as parts of Waldeck-Frankenberg, Werra-Meißner, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, and Schwalm-Eder—showed significantly higher average costs per building. Nationwide, the 20-year average for building damage stood at €2,900 per property. The data highlights that storm and heavy-weather risks in Hesse are not concentrated in major cities. Rural and exposed districts face greater financial burdens from such events. This pattern may influence future insurance assessments and regional preparedness strategies.