After 7 Quakes, NC Commissioner Urges Homeowners to Add Endorsement

After seven minor earthquakes were recorded in recent weeks in western North Carolina, the state’s insurance commissioner is encouraging property owners to check with their insurance agents and make sure they’re covered for natural disasters.

Earthquake damage is generally not covered by homeowner policies, but homeowners can easily add an earthquake endorsement to their policies, Commissioner Mike Causey said in a recent bulletin. “I also encourage consumers to get replacement coverage on both their homeowners’ and automobile insurance policies.”

The U.S. Geological Survey reported seven quakes near Canton, west of Asheville, between May 23 and June 8, according to the DOI and local news reports. The strongest was a 3.2 magnitude.

The Appalachian Mountains are not on an active tectonic plate boundary, but scientists have said ancient geologic fault lines continue to see stresses released from time to time. The recent temblors came three years after a 5.1-magnitude quake hit near Sparta. It was the strongest shake since 1916, the DOI noted.

“I urge homeowners to protect their investment by making sure they have sufficient insurance coverage, and to make sure they review their coverage with their insurance agent at least annually,” Causey said.

Photo: Damage to a house in Baltimore after an East Coast earthquake in 2011. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Topics North Carolina Homeowners