Insurance Commissioner’s Office Encourages Montanans to Consider Earthquake Insurance

Thousands are preparing for a statewide earthquake drill tomorrow and Jennifer McKee with the Commissioner’s Office reminds Montanans not to assume their homeowner’s insurance policy will cover damage caused by an earthquake because—chances are, it probably doesn’t. Here’s McKee:

"While a major earthquake in Montana is rare, it is always a possibility when you live in such a seismically active state like ours," McKee said. "I'm in Helena and we have little small quakes fairly regularly. You'll feel them, they don't do any damage, but it is good to know what the situation is regarding how you protect your property when you live in a place that experiences earthquakes."

McKee said prices vary based on the kind of plan a person buys and how large their deductible is. Some earthquake riders are more costly than others.

"We would encourage folks who are interested in earthquake insurance to read all the fine print and to make sure that if they buy an earthquake rider, that it really is going to meet their needs," McKee said. "Prices vary, deductibles vary, obviously the details very; It's not a one size fits all kind of solution when you're shopping for a product like that."

An estimated 150,000 people will participate in the statewide drill making it the largest earthquake drill in the country.

Jeanette McKee: