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A significant earthquake on the east coast?  Who knew?

You might remember the first to hit Maryland since 1990 was the magnitude 3.6 earthquake with the epicenter in Gaithersburg that was felt in the Washington DC metro area and beyond on the morning of July 10, 2010.

Now, just over a year later, we have just experienced the magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia, just south of Washington, DC.  Everyone knows that earthquakes are rare events here on the east coast of the United States, but it does make one wonder if it could it happen again.  Michael Oskin, Geological Professor at UC Davis tells Reuters News that there likely will be aftershocks felt days, weeks and even months following this earthquake, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) experts concur.

If you're located in Virginia, Maryland or surrounding states, would you be prepared to withstand an earthquake and its aftershocks? You could find yourself isolated and need to be self-sustaining for hours or perhaps even days afterwards.  Thus, having at least a minimal supply of food, drinking water and access to your medications and other essentials could be critical to your survival.

You might not be able to travel. Earthquakes can damage roads, bridges, train tracks, bringing traffic to a stop and disrupting rail and air traffic at least temporarily. 

In the Mineral, VA earthquake, cell phone service was unreliable.  Would your family know what to do, where to go if you were unable to reach them?  Often in such an emergency, a text message will go through where a voice message will not; but would you have the necessary phone numbers at hand to use if needed?

Depending on the severity of it, an earthquakes can structurally damage homes and other buildings, interrupt electric and gas service, shatter glass and otherwise create the potential for severe injury.  Is your home prepared to withstand earthquake damage?

Should you take time to make an emergency plan, just in case?  FEMA offers a valuable earthquake resource website, with detailed checklists showing the steps to take before, during and after an earthquake.

If you believe earthquake damage is possible, it's important to know in advance whether your insurance will cover it.  Usually, a standard homeowners policy will not cover damage from earthquakes, but special coverages could be available depending upon where you live and what insurance company issues your policy. Post-earthquake fire damage will probably be covered through your homeowners policy; and earthquake damage to your vehicles could be covered by special provisions in your auto insurance policy.  It is very important to check with your insurance agent well before an earthquake strikes in order to be prepared if you have losses caused by an earthquake.

Here at the Boizelle Insurance Partnership, our professional agents can review your current insurance policies and discuss your best option to be prepared for earthquake damage.  Contact us anytime, we welcome the opportunity to be of help.