On Sunday, November 8th, a 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck at 9:10 a.m. in an area of Buzzards Bay about nine miles south of New Bedford. The United States Geologic Service (USGS) website received over 14,000 visits reporting the quake. Fortunately, the quake caused no injuries. However, the Red Cross reported that they were aiding twenty people who were forced from their homes because their residence suffered some quake-caused structural damage.
No coverage for earthquakes under a homeowner policy
The standard, HO3 home policy provides broad, open-perils coverage for losses EXCEPT for excluded perils, such as:
- Earth movement, Floods, Mold damage, Wear and tear, Damage due to insects, vice or vermin, Eminent domain, Power failure, Intentional destruction of property, Acts of war, Faulty workmanship
According to a March 2006 report: “Earthquakes a National Threat,” the USGS identified twenty-six urban areas in the United States at risk to significant seismic activity. The fourth urban area on the USGS’s listing was Boston.
The map above shows the seismic activity of the New England region from 1975 until 2017. The seismic activity in the New England area is constant. Some geologists predict that the Massachusetts area could have a 6.0 to 7.5 magnitude earthquake. In fact, since the settling of New England, there have been two.
In Central New Hampshire, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred in 1638. The shaking from this quake was felt up into Canada and down into Boston. Around Boston, the quake’s aftershocks were felt for twenty days following the first earthquake.
Near Cape Ann in Gloucester, a Magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in 1755. Thirty-four miles south of Cape Ann, in Boston, about one-hundred chimneys were toppled, and as many as fifteen hundred other chimneys were damaged. Several brick buildings had walls collapse, and ground cracks opened.
Get a quote for Earthquake Coverage
Some companies offer earthquake coverage through endorsement. Other companies require separate policies.
Give us a call and get a quote for Earthquake Coverage.