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

Top 10 Arkansas Earthquake Insurers Interest in earthquake insurance has gone up following a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in Arkansas late Sunday, said the Arkansas Insurance Department.

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

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

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

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

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

Driving the calls is the fact these rumblings are far from what is 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 the state.

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

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

Earthquake insurance through MAP may be a “tad higher” than the standard markets, but the price must be weighed against the risk of not having it, Mr. Alexander added.

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

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

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Arkansas Earthquakes Awaken Residents&rsquo; Need For Insurance

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