The Danish Natural Hazards Council (Naturskaderådet) stated on Tuesday that some 509 million kroner in compensation has so far been paid out since last autumn’s storm surges, which caused major damage along east-facing coasts.

The agency expects the costs from damage caused by the flooding to eventually exceed a billion kroner, head of department Susanne Aamann told newswire Ritzau.

“It’s not certain that will play out. But that’s our expectation now,” she said.

No weather event has cost authorities as much in compensation since 2013’s Storm Bodil, which ran up costs of just under a billion kroner. Storm Bodil is likely to be exceeded by the 2023 storm surges according to Tuesday’s projection.

READ ALSO: What is a storm surge and why did Denmark experience a ‘once a century event’?

One of the remits of the Danish National Hazards Council is to determine whether a weather event can be considered storm-related flooding, also known as a storm surge. 

Homeowners can contact the council to ask whether damage to their houses can be covered by the council’s fund for storm surges.

READ ALSO: What can homeowners in Denmark do to protect houses from high water damage?

The council declared storm surges across large parts of Denmark after extreme weather in October 2023. It also declared storm surges following Storm Pia, which hit the country during the Christmas holidays.

A storm surge is flooding that results from abnormally high sea levels which do not normally occur more than once every two decades.