While we can not stop a huge earthquake from occurring, we can be prepared. Learn more about earthquake safety and how you can get prepared at the following sites:
Individual/Family Newsletter 2: House Stability and Insurance
This newsheet is the second of six and the focus today is
HOUSE STABILITY AND INSURANCE
Houses in New Zealand built after 1935 have all been constructed under some sort of building code that takes into account our seismic hazard. Most will not collapse with ground shaking, but damage does occur, and older houses shifting off piles is well documented in past earthquakes in New Zealand. Securing your house to the foundations makes sense, and there is basic advice about how to do this from the Earthquake Commision at
http://www.eqc.govt.nz/quakesafeyourhome.aspx
More detail can be found at the EQ-IQ site at
but scroll down the page to find the stuff relating to houses. A later newsheet will have more on house interiors.
Insurance is always a costly business, but we are fortunate to have a government funded Earthquake Commission. This means that we all pay into a scheme though our taxes so that we can access funds to assit with repairing damage after a major natural hazard event. This covers houses up to a maximum of $100,000 BUT ONLY IF YOU HOLD AN INSURANCE POLICY FOR YOUR HOUSE. No private insurance, no payout. Your own policy then funds the additional costs of damage above the EQC maximum.
If you need temporary accomodation while repairs are made to your house, many insurance policies will allow you to claim for this, but it comes out of your contents cover. It is therefore worth checking you policy for this, and if it applies, make sure your cover is adaquate to meet a claim.
Chris Manuel
West Coast ShakeOut Coordinator
www.shakeout.org.nz
The information in this e-mail is the opinion of the author, after significant research. If you are making decisions based upon it, please take the time to follow the links and check up on the details that will affect your decision. Copies of this and previous e-mails will be available shortly on the website http://www.shakeout.org.nz, so if you have only just registered you can see what you have missed.
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