Storms are among the most devastating natural hazards. They cause more economic damage than any other extreme weather event, and after earthquakes and extreme temperatures, they claim the most lives. The World Risk Report 2026 therefore asks: Why does the same storm become a catastrophe in one country, while its consequences remain limited elsewhere?
The answer rarely lies solely in the wind. While hurricanes are not becoming more frequent worldwide, they are becoming more intense, and they are increasingly gaining strength suddenly just before reaching the coast. This shrinks the window of time in which people can be warned and seek shelter. Most lives are claimed not by the wind, but by the water from storm surges and floods. However, whether a storm becomes a catastrophe depends primarily on societal vulnerability. The same wind force encounters more people, weaker buildings, and less protection in poorer countries and rapidly growing coastal cities. Three approaches come into focus:
Early warning systems only save lives if they reach everyone. Too often, they rely solely on wind speed and overlook those who don't speak the language, have mobility issues, or lack safe shelter. Effective warnings focus on the individual, not just the danger. Social safety nets are usually tied to poverty, not vulnerability. As a result, the most vulnerable often remain without protection. Where the state is absent, informal networks like neighborhood support carry people through crises, but quickly reach their limits during major storms. Formal and informal safety nets are not opposites, but must complement each other. Remittances from migrants worldwide even exceed official emergency aid. After storms, they flow quickly and directly, yet remain largely unnoticed in disaster management. At the same time, they only reach households with relatives abroad and can thus exacerbate existing inequalities.
The report's message is also a call to action. Whether a storm turns into a catastrophe is not a matter of fate, but the result of political decisions. Vulnerability can be reduced. Protection is only protection if it excludes no one.
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