Learn About Your Insurance Coverage When it Comes to Earthquakes in Texas

Find out what you need to know about earthquakes in Texas.

As Texans, it’s not often that we experience earthquakes. But, with recent earthquakes in Oklahoma, it’s important that you know what to do in the event that the ground starts to shake. Check out this account of the Pawnee, Oklahoma earthquake felt in the Dallas area, from our very own Mike Leonard.

It was 7:04 a.m. on the 3rd of September, 2016 and I was in the middle of a shave when I was shaking back and forth for at least 20 seconds.  I thought that the glass of wine from the night before has just kicked into my metabolic system.  I quickly realized that the shaking and rumbling of my house was a tremor from an earthquake.  I later found out that the quake was from 5 miles northwest of Pawnee, Oklahoma which is over 250 miles from Carrollton, TX.  The shaking caused no damage to my home however the damage in Pawnee Oklahoma was much more severe.

Here is the ugly truth about damage to homes caused by an earthquake, damage caused by earthquake movement is not covered by the standard home insurance policy. In order to get any coverage for earthquake damage, you need a special home endorsement. But, beware that coverage to repair earthquakes is limited. There are some companies that will allow an endorsement to the homeowner policy however the minimum deductible for a brick veneer home is 15% of the dwelling amount coverage.  In simple math, that means a home insured for $300K will have a deductible of $45,000 before the insurance company is liable for any damages.

Help to minimize damages by taking the necessary precautions. Ensure that heavy furniture is bolted to the ground and that you don’t keep anything heavy above your bed. The more secure that your home is, the better able you are to handle a quake and reduce your risk for damage.

Get the coverage that you need to help protect yourself from a disaster, whether it may be an earthquake or a tornado. Contact Mike Leonard Insurance Agency in North Texas. We’ll work to get you the right coverage from one of our carriers Kemper, MetLife, Travelers, The Hartford, Safeco Insurance, Progressive, and American Strategic Insurance so you can rest easy with excellent protection.