Recent Earthquake in Haiti Should Remind Western North Carolina of our Seismic Past
While many of us are taking the time to help provide aid to those devastated by the January 12th, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, we must pause to reflect on our own seismic past and what we preventative measures we can take in case of future action. A solid emergency plan can truly be lifesaving.
As recently as October of 2009, WNC felt the tremors of a 2.5 magnitude earthquake just 20 miles south of Asheville. Though that quake was not classified as severe, our history does show how surprising and costly earlier quakes have been. In February of 1916, a 5.2 earthquake caused Waynesville residents to flee into the streets, as chimneys toppled and windows cracked. The intensity of the largest earthquake in North Carolina history was felt throughout the south east region to include residents of Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia. Move forward to 1928. Many seniors in Asheville recall the earthquake that struck that November. It is recorded that there was panic in the theaters, homes damaged by falling items, chimneys leveled, the cracking of home foundations and broken water lines. Other notable earthquakes were reported in 1935, 1957, 1969, 1970 and 2007.
Growing urban development and buildings that have been built prior to current building codes increase the potential costs of recovery each year. Going forward, we must understand that to prepare for the recovery of one of the above listed losses, we need to take a hard look at our insurance coverage. A standard homeowners or business property insurance policy does not contain coverage for earthquakes. The good news is that you do not need a separate policy to protect yourself and your most valuable possessions from devastating loss. Earthquake coverage can be added to existing policies to cover against damage to the structure of a covered building, your personal property contents and ‘loss of use’ coverage that will pay for a place to live while the repairs are being completed to your damaged home.
Adding this coverage today might increase your premium in the short term, but not adding could be financially devastating in the future.
Links
- http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/last_event_states/states_north_carolina.html
- http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=153461
- http://www.heritagewnc.org/WNC_natural_disasters/earthquakes.htm
- http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/Geologic_hazards_earthquakes/earthquakes.htm
- http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/index.php?regionID=33
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