Canada’s increasingly severe hazards may have you wondering how best to protect your property. The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), an organization specializing in disaster prevention research, has identified the most impactful steps homeowners can take to withstand various natural events..
ICLR and Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) have a long-standing partnership to help protect Canadians from natural hazards. Together, they’ve collaborated on this series of IN Focus articles, which share tips to help you protect your home and property from some of Canada’s most damaging weather.
Your “Better, Best” guide to earthquake protection
Canada experiences thousands of earthquakes every year. And while most are just a minor rumble that goes unnoticed, there are regions in Canada that sit on fault lines capable of producing earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or larger. With population and development continuing to increase in at-risk areas, a growing number of Canadians are vulnerable to earthquake damage. According to Natural Resources Canada, British Columbia faces a 30% chance of a major quake in the next 50 years – especially along the southwest coast near the Cascadia Subduction Zone. In the east, Quebec’s Charlevoix-Kamouraska region leads in seismic activity, followed by the Ottawa Valley. These zones top Canada’s earthquake risk list based on hazard maps and history.
Earthquakes are impossible to predict and they strike without warning; however, homeowners can take steps to protect themselves and minimize damage to their property. ICLR has identified two levels of risk mitigation: Better and Best.
The “Better, Best” tiered approach outlines the essential improvements homeowners should prioritize. While they should take every possible precaution to avoid earthquake damage, time and budget constraints can present challenges. This tiered approach presents steps to help homeowners know what to prioritize.
Enhanced measures (Better): Protect your home and belongings
Find a licensed general contractor or seismic retrofit specialist to perform brace and bolt retrofits to single-family dwellings on raised foundations that were build before the 1990s. Or, have soft-story retrofits completed for multi-family buildings with tuck-under parking.
Ensure that heavy items (more than 15 kilograms) are moved to the floor or to low shelves, away from spaces where you spend a lot of time, and away from doors and escape routes.
Secure tall furnishings, like bookcases and wall units, to the building studs with earthquake furniture straps.
Install latches on kitchen cabinets and use museum putty to secure breakable objects, like vases, on shelves.
Secure gas-fuelled water heaters to your home’s studs.
Comprehensive measures (Best): Keep yourself and loved ones safe in a quake
Participate in the annual ShakeOut drill and practise drop, cover and hold on.
Assemble an emergency preparedness kit with enough supplies to meet your family’s needs for at least 72 hours.
Create an emergency plan and decide how you will communicate with family and friends.
Go deeper still with the “Protect your home from earthquakes” booklet.
What you need to know about earthquakes and insurance
Earthquake insurance is available as optional coverage and covers the loss or damage to your property and its contents caused by the shaking of the earth. Speak with your insurance representative and know that:
Coverage for earthquake damage isn’t included in a standard home insurance policy but may be purchased as an optional, add-on to your existing policy.
If homeowners can’t return home due to covered damage, their home insurance policy may provide additional living expenses.
Earthquake coverage and business interruption insurance is also available for businesses.
Check your insurance policies for details, including coverage limits, deductibles, waiting periods, and exclusions specific to earthquake coverage
How to start the claims process
If you’re forced from your home due to an earthquake or evacuation order, call your insurance representative or insurer as soon as you can to find out what financial support is available. Discussing your options with your insurer does not mean you have to make a claim and will not impact your future insurance coverage.
Once the evacuation order is lifted and it is safe to return to your home, if your property has been damaged, take the following steps:
Assess and document the damage, if safe to do so. Take photos and make a list of all damaged or destroyed items as best you can.
Keep damaged items (until you are directed to dispose), unless they pose a health hazard.
If possible, assemble proofs of purchase, photos, receipts, owner’s manuals and warranties for damaged items.
Keep all receipts related to cleanup and your living expenses while you were evacuated.
British Columbia’s residents should pay extra attention to earthquake preparedness
A newly released Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment (DCRRA) report found that 92% of the population of the province and 90% of provincial businesses are exposed to seismic risk.
The Report also includes a new Hazard Insights Tool with an interactive map that can be used to better understand the different risks and hazards at the provincial and regional scales. The Hazard Insights Tool serves as a critical resource for emergency managers, planners and professionals working to strengthen the province’s resilience.
More tips and information
Visit IBC’s Earthquake Protection page for additional tips and a video to help you mitigate risk and protect your most valuable possessions.
To learn more about ICLR and how it works to better protect Canadians and build resilient communities, visit www.iclr.org.
Read more about why Canada’s property and casualty insurers have been advocating for a public-private earthquake insurance solution to ensure financial resilience after a major seismic event.
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