East Coast Earthquake damages National monument

Why You Should Have Earthquake Insurance

If you thought that earthquakes were just an isolated phenomenon, last year’s east coast shaker  that trembled even Connecticut may be an eye opener.  The fact is that about 5000 earthquakes occur yearly in the US, according to the Insurance Information Institute, with quakes of various magnitudes occurring in 39 states since 1900.  When it comes to insuring against quake-related damage, you should know that earthquake damage is not covered under the standard homeowners or business insurance policy.  While it is common for property insurance to cover fire resulting from an  earthquake, these policies typically exclude damage from earth movement.  For that, it is necessary to purchase a rider to existing property insurance.  Otherwise, a supplemental policy might be necessary.