Earthquake insurance covers a lot, which is exactly why its exclusions surprise people. These vary by carrier and policy, so treat this as what to check, not a list that applies to every policy.
Flood and tsunami
This is the big one on the coast. Tsunami water and flooding are generally a flood insurance question, not an earthquake one. Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner notes that home, renter, and commercial policies usually do not cover flood, and FEMA confirms flood is a separate policy. A Cascadia event could bring both shaking and tsunami, handled under different coverage. We break this down in earthquake vs flood, tsunami, and landslide.
Landslide and earth movement
Landslide, mudflow, and other earth movement may be excluded or difficult to insure, even though they can follow an earthquake. Oregon’s Division of Financial Regulation notes that landslides, as earth movement, generally are not covered and can be hard to insure. This usually needs its own review.
Masonry, chimneys, and exterior features
Brick and masonry veneer, chimneys, retaining walls, pools, patios, walkways, driveways, fences, and landscaping are common areas of limitation or exclusion. These are exactly the parts of a home that a quake tends to damage, so do not assume they carry the same protection as the main structure.
Vehicles
Vehicle damage is generally an auto insurance question. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners notes that damage to vehicles would be covered under auto insurance, if comprehensive coverage applies, not under earthquake insurance.
Pre-existing and cosmetic damage
Damage that existed before the policy, and purely cosmetic damage, are commonly excluded. Coverage is built for sudden earthquake loss, not for conditions that were already there.
Anything below the deductible
This is the quiet one. Because earthquake deductibles are often a large percentage of the insured value, a real loss can still fall entirely below the deductible and pay nothing. A home with 45,000 dollars of damage and a 60,000 dollar deductible may collect zero. That is not an exclusion in the fine print, it is the math of the deductible, and it is why the deductible deserves its own read.
The takeaway
None of this means earthquake insurance is weak. It means it has edges, and the time to learn them is before a loss. A coverage review walks your specific home against these gaps and tells you which ones matter for you.
Questions to ask your advisor
- Do I carry separate flood coverage for tsunami and flooding risk?
- How does my policy treat landslide and other earth movement?
- Are my chimney, masonry veneer, retaining walls, and pool limited or excluded?
- How large is my earthquake deductible, and could a real loss fall below it?
- Which of these gaps matter most for my specific home and location?
Want guidance first? Compare your coverage. Already know what you need? Get a quote.
Continue the series
You are reading part 3 of Earthquake Insurance in Oregon and Washington: What Homeowners Should Know.
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