Why Warning Systems Fail—insights From Severe Floodings in Germany and Romania

While extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense on a global scale, Europe is the fastest warming continent. Heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floodings are among the key risks that European countries are facing every year at often unprecedented scales. At the same time, despite at least parts of Europe being among the wealthiest countries in the world, cases of failed warning communication are frequently observed in the context of such disasters, leading to unnecessary deaths.

This presentation makes the case for two disasters: the 2021 floodings in Germany and the 2024 floodings in Romania. The two case studies exemplify different structural impediments to effective warning communication. Among the main learnings are improvements in risk message design and timing, communicating uncertainty, as well as better coordination between the actors involved in the warning communication process.