What Earthquake Insurance Covers
Earthquake insurance provides coverage for the following:
- Dwelling coverage for property damage to your home, although not other structures such as fences or other buildings.
- Personal property coverage for damage to your possessions inside the home, such as furniture, appliances, and electronics
- Additional living expenses coverage, also known as loss of use, to help with the costs of living elsewhere while your home is repaired.
Depending on your needs, you may be able to upgrade your earthquake insurance coverage to includes things such as debris removal, land restoration, emergency repairs, and to increase your loss of use limits, as well.
How to Reinforce Your Earthquake Insurance Protection
Earthquake insurance is one part of a strong home insurance defenses strategy. However it does not take the place of a homeowners insurance policy.
Some things are commonly excluded in earthquake coverage. Many of these exclusions can be covered by policies you may already have, or purchased as additional coverage options, such as:
- Fire – Homeowners policies typically cover any kind of fire, including those resulting from an earthquake.
- Land Damage – Sinkholes or erosions caused by earthquakes are generally not covered. However, you may choose to buy additional coverage for land stabilization.
- Floods – Water damage resulting from an earthquake is generally not covered, but flood insurance could protect you in the event a nearby body of water floods your home after an earthquake.
- Vehicles – Damage to vehicles, on your property or off, is typically not covered by your earthquake policy but may be covered by certain auto insurance policies.
Every state within the US has recorded an earthquake at one time or another, although some states do have more earthquake activity than others. Whether your state has a high or low risk of earthquake activity, there is no denying the damage that a single quake can bring. You can’t predict when or where the next earthquake may hit, but you can protect your home and belongings in the event it happens to you.
