Washington Insurance Council

                  Consumer Alert

Contact: Karl Newman, Executive Director      
Release Date: 11/30/2000

Washington Insurance Council    
Phone: (206) 624-3330
Fax: (206) 624-1975
karl.newman@wa-ic.org

New Bellevue fault line trigger concerns, earthquake safety tips for homeowners

SEATTLE – After Wednesday’s announcement of a newly discovered surface rupture near Bellevue, earthquake concerns have begun to rumble once again.

Seattle and the Puget Sound region sit on and around many unstable seismic fault lines that can spell disaster for homeowners and businesses. 

“Washington experienced more than 1,000 earthquakes last year,” said Tim Walsh, a geologist from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Many of those earthquakes were only tremors, according to Walsh, and went unnoticed by most residents.  However, it doesn’t take a large-scale earthquake to cause significant damage.

“Earthquakes can be very destructive,” said Karl Newman, executive director of the Washington Insurance Council.  “With the right advance preparations, you can do a lot to reduce or eliminate damage to your home and belongings.”

The Washington Insurance Council offers these tips for homeowners and renters to help protect their homes and save their families lives if things begin to shake, rattle and roll:

w          Gather and store emergency water, non-perishable food and first aid supplies.

w          Know where and how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves.  Check with your local utilities offices for instructions.

w         Be sure to have a flashlight and a battery-powered radio on hand in case power is cut off.

w          Place large and heavy objects on lower shelves.  Securely fasten shelves to walls.  Brace or anchor high or top-heavy objects.

w                    Deep plaster cracks in walls should be investigated.  Such cracks, especially on ceilings, could result in large pieces of heavy plaster falling and causing injury.

w          Sketch a floor plan of your home and identify safe places to seek out during an earthquake.

Standard homeowners insurance policies normally do not cover earthquake damage.  A separate earthquake insurance policy is needed.  Call your company or agent to find out how to obtain earthquake insurance.

For free a free brochure on how to protect yourself and property from an earthquake, contact the Washington Insurance Council at (206) 624-3330.

The Washington Insurance Council is a nonprofit, consumer education organization funded by member insurance companies.

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