Map from FEMA
Map from FEMA
An earthquake measuring 6.8 in magnitude rocked the Pacific Northwest on February 28, 2001, at 10:54 a.m. It was the most significant earthquake in the Puget Sound region in 52 years and serves as a reminder that the planet we live on is a dynamic, changing environment. It also taught some important lessons about earthquake preparedness and insurance coverage.
The February 28 quake, called Nisqually, had an epicenter approximately 11 miles northeast of the Capitol City of Olympia, 15 miles west-southwest of Tacoma, and 35 miles southwest of downtown Seattle. This epicenter was close to that of the last major quake to strike the region, in 1949 which caused eight deaths.
Approximately 400 injuries were reported from the Nisqually quake, none of them major, and early estimates of the damage were set at approximately $2 billion, which includes both property damage and economic losses. By comparison, the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 killed 72 people and caused an estimated
$15.3 billion in damage. Much of the reason for the difference lies in the depth of the epicenter of the Nisqually quake--33 miles--compared to the relatively shallow Northridge quake.
Still, the disaster will likely be Washington's most expensive and widespread disaster according to state and federal coordinating officers for the state's disaster recovery program. Bill Lokey, federal coordinating officer, said the number of Washington residents registering for disaster aid reached a record 12,148 as of March 21. The previous high was 11,998 registrations that followed floods in the Pacific Northwest in early 1996.
The I.I.I. estimated shortly after the quake that the insurance industry could pay up to $1 billion in claims related to this earthquake (including commercial and personal lines policies losses). The estimate, it noted, was very preliminary, and a more definitive cost would not be obtainable until after detailed inspections of damaged property.
The Washington Department of Insurance reported that about one-third of the state's home owners carry earthquake insurance. Most policies include a 10% to 25% deductible.
Overall, Washington state is the second largest market for earthquake coverage in the United States with $70,684,000 in written premium. California is first with $397,980,000. Missouri is third (and includes the New Madrid region, a somewhat active earthquake fault area) and Oregon is fourth.
The leading carriers of earthquake coverage in Washington state, and their percentage of the market, according to the I.I.I., are: State Farm (24.98%); Safeco (10.90%); Public Employees (10.62%); Zurich Insurance Group (10.14%); and Allstate Insurance Group (10.05%). The top 10 were rounded out by United Services Auto Group, Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance, Citigroup, Hartford Fire & Casualty, and CNA Insurance Group.
The Nisqually earthquake initially interrupted electrical power, broke windows, dislodged bricks from older masonry buildings, and sent workers scurrying under their desks or into the streets. Pete Moraga, a spokesman for the I.I.I. noted the correlation between the type of building construction and construction materials and the damage in the Washington quake.
"In Seattle and Olympia, the most damage occurred to non-reinforced, brick and masonry buildings," Moraga stated. "However, much of the damage also depends on the soil these buildings are built upon. Washington (and California) have very strictly enforced buildings codes for earthquake safety which helps to mitigate the damage."
The Seattle Times reported that damage in the Seattle area was limited mostly to turn-of-the-century buildings in Pioneer Square. And property owners who had seismically retrofitted their historic buildings fared much better than those who hadn't.
The Nisqually earthquake occurred on a normal fault within the down-going Juan de Fuca plate. Randall Updike, chief scientist for the geologic hazards team at the U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado, told PBS' Jim Lehrer News Hour that the Juan de Fuca plate, that comes out in the North Pacific Ocean, is converging with North America. It is actually sliding beneath North America. And as that convergence and sliding occurs, then earthquakes can be generated along the contact and those earthquakes can be quite large, very large. In fact, some of the largest earthquakes in the world have occurred along this kind of a geologic environment.
Map from U.S. Geological Survey
Significant damage occurred to the Washington state capitol building in Olympia when some of its support columns that provide a foundation for its giant dome had shifted. There was also cracking found in the sandstone dome itself. The capitol received earthquake "proofing" in 1965 and 1972, and the state legislature was considering further retrofitting at a cost of $6.6 million prior to the earthquake.
Seattle-based Safeco Corporation provided simple, but straightforward advice to policyholders indicated through press releases on its Web site. It guided Web viewers to their agents, advised regarding prevention of further damage and assured its customers that it was fully operational.
Safeco itself fared well through the shaking. It operates in a variety of owned and leased buildings throughout the Seattle region, all of which have been retrofitted within the past five to ten years. "Our retrofitting efforts were successful, as Safeco buildings did not suffer any damage in the recent earthquake," noted Safeco media relations representative
Amy Mitchell.
Safeco also has a structured earthquake plan that was implemented at the time of the Nisqually quake on February 28. Its plan includes an Emergency Response Team (ERT) Program whereby specially trained Safeco employees provide immediate emergency care to sick or injured co-workers on a floor-by-floor basis in every major Safeco office. Safeco's plan also includes an E.O.C. (Emergency Operating Center) in every regional office. The E.O.C. includes a group of employees identified as being responsible for specified business functions at the time of a disaster.
Following the February 28 quake, some Seattle area residents obtained early information from insurance- and earthquake-related Internet sites. The sites included advice for policyholders in regard to insurance claims.
"Claims are likely to involve damaged roofs, cracked walls, foundations, contents, and damage to automobiles," the I.I.I. stated.
Following the Nisqually quake there were two aftershocks on March 1--one measuring 3.4 in magnitude, and the second measuring 2.7.
The Nisqually earthquake was not the only recent geologic disturbance in the Northwest. Mount Baker in Washington had volcanic activity on the weekend of February 10-11, shooting a plume of steam into the air. Mount Rainier has also shown signs of recent activity within its core. And, smaller earthquakes occurred recently near North Bend, including one on February 14, 2001, that measured a magnitude of 3.1. *