How do I decide whether or not to get earthquake insurance?

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Welcome to CoreFacts, where we're always short on time and big on science. I'm Jessica Robertson. Today's question involves protecting yourself from natural hazards.

How do I decide whether or not to get earthquake insurance?

When deciding whether or not to get earthquake insurance, here are some things you should consider:

• proximity to active earthquake faults;
• seismic history of the region or frequency of earthquakes;
• time since the last earthquake;
• building construction, which includes type of building and foundation;
• architectural layout;
• materials used;
• quality of workmanship;
• extent to which earthquake resistance was considered by the designer;
• local site conditions such as type and condition of soil;
• slope of the land;
• geologic structure of the earth underneath;
• annual rainfall;
• value of the building and its contents; and
• cost of the insurance and restrictions on coverage.

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