NU Online News Service, March 1, 2:27 p.m.EST

Interest in earthquakeinsurance has gone up following a magnitude 4.7 earthquake inArkansas late Sunday, said the Arkansas Insurance Department.

Alice Jones, spokeswoman for the department, said it refersresidents to their insurance agent but “there are not manycompanies currently writing earthquake coverage in Arkansas.”

The quake, near Greenbriar, Ark., was the state’s largest in 35years and was the latest to shake the region, which has felt a lotof recent activity. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, therehave been nearly 75 rumbles since Feb. 22 and more than 25 temblorsranging in magnitudes from 2.0 to 3.8 since the 4.7 magnitudequake.

Ms. Jones said Little Rock-based excess and surplus lines brokerArgenia LLC administers the state Market Assistance Program (MAP)for residents who cannot find earthquake insurance throughtraditional sources. Earthquakes are not covered by standardhomeowners or business insurance policies.

Michael Alexander, vice president of Argenia, said there hasbeen a “huge uptick” in earthquake insurance inquiries starting aweek ago.

“A lot of people felt this last one (the 4.7 earthquake) becauseit was late,” he said. “It woke people up.”

Driving the calls is the fact these rumblings are far from whatis traditionally considered a hotspot for earthquakes, Mr.Alexander said. Greenbriar is about 120 miles north of Little Rock,far from the New Madrid Seismic Zone in the northeast corner of thestate.

“Residents near the New Madrid are more apt to buy earthquakecover and they have to sign off if they wish to decline it. Agentshave to offer it,” Mr. Alexander said.

Since Monday, standard carriers have either announcedmoratoriums on quoting earthquake insurance or have set limits,which are usually just above what insurers already have on thebooks, Mr. Alexander said.

Earthquake insurance through MAP may be a “tad higher” than thestandard markets, but the price must be weighed against the risk ofnot having it, Mr. Alexander added.

Some say the seismic activity in the area has been brought on byrecent natural gas drilling and injection wells used to dispose ofwastewater during the process. The state has imposed a moratoriumon the drilling of new wells.

This December marks the 200th anniversary of one of the largestearthquakes in U.S. history, along the New Madrid fault inMissouri, where a series of quakes in 1811 and 1812 included atleast three of magnitude 7-8.