Earthquake!

by Simon Handby in At home on 27.02.08

Last night the UK experienced its most powerful earthquake for 25 years - a tremor measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, centred around Market Rasen in Lincolnshire. The quake was felt across much of England, Wales and Scotland, with reporters in Parliament – nearly 150 miles away – noting a different kind of dull rumbling from the usual.

Despite damage to roofs and walls, only one man seems to have been injured – 19-year-old student David Bates, who suffered a broken pelvis caused by stone falling from a chimney stack in South Yorkshire.

The Richter scale is logarithmic, so while last night’s earthquake is more than a hundred times less powerful than the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Kashmir in 2005, it’s also more than 100 times stronger than the 2.9 tremor recorded in Wales in November last year.

Although such powerful earthquakes are rare in the UK, those that cause damage are more common than you might think. Since 1999, More Than’s parent company Royal & SunAlliance has handled insurance claims for earthquake damage in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2007.

Whoever you insure with, your home insurance policy should cover you for earthquake damage.

If your home or car was damaged last night, we recommend the following:

• Stay out of damaged buildings and watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines.
• Leave the gas on at the main valve, unless you smell gas or think it’s leaking. If the gas is turned off for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.
• Look for electrical system damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker.
• Open cupboard and cabinet doors cautiously. Their contents may have shifted during the shaking of an earthquake and could fall, creating further damage or injury.
• Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights to inspect your home. Kerosene lanterns, torches, candles, and matches may tip over or ignite flammables inside.
• Watch for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings that could fall, and inspect the entire length of chimneys carefully for damage.
• Contact your home insurance company immediately. Insurers are trained to provide you with information and guidance, even in unusual events.
• Taking pictures of any damage to your belongings will help if you need to claim on your home or car insurance.

More Than home insurance customers should call 0800 300 699 to make a claim, while car insurance customers should call 0800 300 252.

MAP from Google Maps
IMAGE by Flickr user jessicafm

Did you feel the earth move? Leave a comment (below) to share your experiences, or vote in our poll (right). If you have any pictures you’d like to share, you can upload them to our Flickr group.