An East Coast earthquake? Suffering damage from a seismic shift isn’t a risk many homeowners outside of California worry about.
Most standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies do not cover damage from earthquakes — specifically, the potential losses from the shaking and cracking that can destroy a building and other property.
Nationwide, earthquake premiums written total $2,468,141,000 according to 2009 figures. Here’s a look at the extent to which individuals and businesses have purchased additional earthquake insurance protection. The figures include insurance written by state funds.
Rank State Direct premiums written in 2009 (thousands)
- 1. California $1,584,897
- 2. Washington state 134,970
- 3. Missouri 88,542
- 4. Tennessee 59,612
- 5. Oregon 53,777
- 6. Illinois 49,999
- 7. Kentucky 35,141
- 8. Florida 31,645
- 9. Indiana 31,161
- 10. South Carolina 30,515
- 11. Texas 30,264
- 12. New York 29,825
- 13. Utah 29,121
- 14. Ohio 26,665
- 15. Alaska 20,840
- 16. Arkansas 19,113
- 17. Mississippi 17,851
- 18. Nevada 17,708
- 19. Massachusetts 15,207
- 20. Georgia 13,713
- 21. Pennsylvania 13,303
- 22. New Jersey 12,417
- 23. Virginia 10,013
- 24. North Carolina 9,053
- 25. Louisiana 8,430
- 26. Colorado 8,351
- 27. Hawaii 7,878
- 28. Alabama 7,238
- 29. Arizona 6,774
- 30. Maryland 6,559
- 31. Michigan 6,265
- 32. Kansas 5,564
- 33. Connecticut 5,140
- 34. Oklahoma 4,845
- 35. Minnesota 4,242
- 36. Wisconsin 3,796
- 37. Iowa 3,629
- 38. Montana 3,460
- 39. Wyoming 2,902
- 40. Nebraska 2,385
- 41. Idaho 2,372
- 42. Rhode Island 2,218
- 43. New Hampshire 2,217
- 44. New Mexico 1,857
- 45. Washington, D.C. 1,782
- 46. Maine 1,428
- 47. West Virginia 1,352
- 48. Vermont 860
- 49. Delaware 747
- 50. South Dakota 440
- 51. North Dakota 329
Source: SNL Financial LC, Insurance Information Institute