Did you feel that? It felt like the Earth slowed down a bit. According to the Geological Society of America’s recent study, the Earth’s rotation has been in a period of slowdown for the past few years, which could create an uptick in the number of earthquakes. According to the study, quake-prone periods follow periodic slowdowns in the speed of the Earth’s rotation. Traditionally, the earth averages 15 major earthquakes (magnitude 7 or higher) a year. Historically, during quake-prone periods, the number of major earthquakes can jump to 25-30 a year.

While there are areas that are more prone to earthquakes, an earthquake can happen anyplace at any time. There is something you can do to protect your home and property now. While most standard homeowners policies exclude damage caused by earth movement (e.g., earthquakes and any other earth movement, including earth sinking, rising or shifting or damage caused by flooding or mudslides), you can purchase an endorsement to your homeowners or renters insurance to cover your losses from earthquakes and aftershocks.

Since different building materials react differently to earth movement (e.g., brick versus wood), premiums vary by the type of building construction and they usually are determined by a percentage of the building’s value.

Keep in mind: Once an earthquake is detected, it’s too late. You can’t buy the coverage within 72 hours after an earthquake, and damaging aftershocks are always a possibility within that period of time. If you are interested in adding an earthquake endorsement to your homeowners or renters policy, give our agency a call. We can help you get settled.