Most of us have heard about the San Andreas fault line in California that runs the length of the state, especially thanks in part to Hollywood’s recent movie called San Andreas that featured earthquake destruction of epic proportions. As scary as that scenario is, we are now aware of a more ominous fault line called the Cascadia subduction zone.
According to scientific calculations by Oregon State University’s earthquake expert, Chris Goldfinger, and his colleagues, this lesser-known but extremely dangerous Cascadia subduction zone, which runs for 700 miles off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, has a one in three chance of launching a big earthquake in the next 50 years. Equally as scary is how unprepared the Northwest’s infrastructure and buildings are for a large magnitude earthquake. The Residential Earthquake team at Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc. recently read an article by Kathryn Schulz in The New Yorker about this fault line, which according to the article has the potential to register a 9.2 earthquake on the Richter Scale.
Arrowhead's earthquake experts are ready to discuss Washington earthquake insurance coverage options for homeowners throughout the state. Contact Steve Goebel at SGoebel@ArrowheadGrp.com to discuss rates. Keep in mind that dwellings that were built in 1937 and newer are accepted and replacement limits range from $75,000 to $5 million.
Another resource homeowners and business owners alike should look into is an organization called The Great Shake Out. Over 17 million people every year participate in their one-day earthquake preparedness drills. Their website is a goldmine for helpful info on how best to prepare for earthquakes and tsunami’s. Share it with your policyholders and be sure to talk with them about how best to cover their home and its contents.
This article was authored by one of our industry partners, Arrowhead General Insurance Agency.
