Earthquakes in Charleston

Do you need earthquake coverage in Charleston? We talk more about hurricanes and flooding, but earthquakes do happen here. Geologically, Charleston lies in one of the most seismically active areas in the Eastern United States, but our earthquakes are usually so small they go unnoticed (2.5 magnitude or less).

The last major earthquake was in 1886. It was a 7 point intraplate earthquake that occurred within the interior of a tectonic plate. This type is relatively rare compared to the more familiar interplate earthquakes, which occur at the boundary of a tectonic plate. It lasted 45 seconds, devastating the city and destroying hundreds of buildings. It remains the largest earthquake on record in the Southeast.

Earthquake coverage is not required, so whether or not you carry coverage all comes down to your personal risk tolerance. Large earthquakes are predicted every 500–600 years, so it is very unlikely that one will occur any time soon. I have earthquake coverage on my primary residence because it sits on land that was created with fill dirt - "made ground" vs solid ground.

How much does it cost? It depends on your deductible and whether you get a stand-alone policy or an endorsement to your existing homeowners policy. A stand-alone policy for my house was quoted at $1500/year with a 5% deductible with Johnson & Johnson, but I was able to add it as an endorsement to my existing Heritage policy and the cost was only $350. Even knowing a major earthquake is unlikely, I sleep better having that protection on my most valuable asset.