A new international study led by scientists from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with leading research institutions including COMPASS partners, has found that floods combined with other climate hazards have increased almost threefold in Europe over the past 30 years.
The research shows that more than 70% of flood events between 1981 and 2020 were “compound events”, meaning that floods occurred alongside or were preceded by additional hazards such as droughts, heatwaves, windstorms, or prolonged wet conditions. These combined events were associated with significantly greater impacts, with economic losses on average 2.8 times higher than those from floods occurring alone.
The study analysed 1,349 flood events across Europe and identified a strong increase in complex multi-hazard events over recent decades. All flood events within the top 1% of economic losses were linked to compound hazards, highlighting the growing importance of understanding interconnected climate risks.
Using a combination of historical disaster data, meteorological and hydrological records, and machine learning approaches, the researchers demonstrate that accounting for compound hazards can substantially improve flood risk assessment and disaster preparedness.
The findings reinforce the importance of the COMPASS project’s work on compound climate extremes and risk attribution, supporting improved anticipation and management of cascading climate risks across Europe.
Read the full JRC news article here:
https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/floods-compounding-hazards-increased-almost-threefold-30-years-2026-05-20_en
Read the scientific publication in Nature Communications:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73248-0
