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Facts + Statistics: Earthquakes and tsunamis

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Top 10 Costliest U.S. Earthquakes By Inflation-Adjusted Insured Losses (1)

($ millions)

        Insured losses (1)  
Rank Date Event Location When occurred In 2023 dollars (2)
1 Jan. 17, 1994 Northridge CA $15,300 $32,210
2 Apr. 18, 1906 San Francisco CA 235 8,295
3 Oct. 18, 1989 Loma Prieta CA 960 2,353
4 Feb. 28, 2001 Nisqually WA 315 551
5 Jan. 7, 2020 Puerto Rico PR 425 507
6 Aug. 24, 2014 South Napa CA 200 259
7 Feb. 9, 1971 San Fernando CA 32 244
8 Oct. 1, 1987 Whittier Narrows CA 75 200
9 Nov. 30, 2018 Anchorage AK 150 183
10 Aug. 23, 2011 Virginia VA, DC 100 136

(1) Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Ranked on losses in 2023 dollars. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of January 2024.
(2) Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.

Source: Aon.

 

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Top 10 Writers Of Earthquake Insurance By Direct Premiums Written, 2023

($000)

Rank Group/company Direct premiums written (1) Market share (2)
1 California Earthquake Authority (3) $971,534 16.6%
2 FM Global  559,920 9.6
3 Palomar Specialty Insurance Co. 446,504 7.6
4 Zurich Insurance Group 381,288 6.5
5 Berkshire Hathaway 336,192 5.7
6 State Farm 333,802 5.7
7 Travelers Companies Inc. 240,812 4.1
8 Chubb Ltd. 201,407 3.4
9 Liberty Mutual 149,344 2.6
10 Sompo Holdings Inc. 141,615 2.4

(1) Before reinsurance transactions, includes state funds. Direct premiums written for earthquake line of business.
(2) Based on U.S. total, includes territories.
(3) California Earthquake DWP obtained from its financial statements reported on its website.

Source: NAIC data, sourced from S&P Global Market Intelligence, Insurance Information Institute

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Earthquake insurance

Standard homeowners, renters, and business insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage. Coverage is available either as an endorsement or as a separate policy. Earthquake insurance mitigates damage costs and other liabilities that stem from the shaking and cracking that can destroy buildings and personal possessions. Standard home and business insurance policies provide coverage for other kinds of damage that may result from earthquakes, such as fire and water damage due to burst gas and water pipes. Earthquake coverage is primarily available from private insurance companies. In California, homeowners can also get coverage from the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), a privately funded, publicly managed organization.

According to a 2023 Consumer Survey by the Triple-I and Munich Re, over 37 percent of residents in the western U.S. report having purchased earthquake coverage. This proportion is almost three times higher than other regions.

Earthquake Insurance, Direct Premiums Written by State, 2023 (1)

($000)

Rank State Direct premiums written ($000)
1 California $3,472,618
2 Washington   420,752
3 Oregon 189,290
4 Missouri 146,238
5 Utah 138,366
6 Tennessee 134,143
7 New York 131,319
8 Illinois 127,419
9 Texas 77,228
10 Nevada 71,299
11 South Carolina 69,430
12 Florida 65,188
13 Indiana 59,398
14 Kentucky 59,182
15 Arkansas 58,443
16 Alaska 56,092
17 Massachusetts 55,060
18 Ohio 47,450
19 New Jersey 39,517
20 Pennsylvania 37,478
21 Virginia 32,330
22 Hawaii 31,302
23 Georgia 31,175
24 Mississippi 30,270
25 Arizona 26,439
26 North Carolina 25,633
27 Colorado 20,768
28 Maryland 19,515
29 Oklahoma 19,433
30 Michigan 14,714
31 Alabama 13,743
32 Wisconsin 13,447
33 Connecticut 12,487
34 Montana 10,752
35 Idaho 10,584
36 Kansas 10,524
37 Louisiana 9,833
38 Iowa 9,197
39 Minnesota 8,569
40 Wyoming 7,676
41 Washington, DC 5,877
42 New Mexico 5,722
43 New Hampshire 5,186
44 Rhode Island 4,546
45 Nebraska 3,550
46 Maine 3,115
47 West Virginia 3,009
48 Delaware 2,278
49 Vermont 1,917
50 South Dakota 1,136
51 North Dakota 971
  United States $5,851,605

(1) Includes the California Earthquake Authority, a state fund.

Source: NAIC data, sourced from S&P Global Market Intelligence, Insurance Information Institute.

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Earthquake Insurance, 2014-2023

($000)

Year Net premiums
written (1)		 Annual percent
change		 Combined
ratio (2)		 Annual point
change (3)
2014 $1,641,847 3.5% 34.0 3.7 pts.
2015 1,649,753 0.5 28.1 -5.8
2016 1,535,142 -6.9 34.4 6.2
2017 1,511,543 -1.5 42.3 8.0
2018 1,827,543 20.9 44.3 2.0
2019 1,985,433 8.6 29.0 -15.3
2020 2,386,798 20.2 38.1 9.1
2021 2,941,515 23.2 36.4 -1.7
2022 3,122,861 6.2 30.8 -5.6
2023 3,773,573 20.8 29.8 -1.0

(1) After reinsurance transactions, excludes state funds, such as the California Earthquake Authority, a not-for-profit, privately funded, publicly managed organization that provides coverage in California.
(2) After dividends to policyholders. A drop in the combined ratio represents an improvement; an increase represents a deterioration.
(3) Calculated from unrounded data.

Source: NAIC data, sourced from S&P Global Market Intelligence, Insurance Information Institute.

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Additional Resources

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Significant Earthquakes

Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC), Recent Earthquakes in California and Nevada

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