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Insured losses (1) |
| Rank |
Date |
Event |
Location |
When occurred |
In 2024 dollars (2) |
| 1 |
Jan. 17, 1994 |
Northridge |
CA |
$15,300 |
$33,035 |
| 2 |
Apr. 18, 1906 |
San Francisco |
CA |
235 |
8,507 |
| 3 |
Oct. 18, 1989 |
Loma Prieta |
CA |
960 |
2,413 |
| 4 |
Feb. 28, 2001 |
Nisqually |
WA |
315 |
566 |
| 5 |
Jan. 7, 2020 |
Puerto Rico |
PR |
425 |
520 |
| 6 |
Aug. 24, 2014 |
South Napa |
CA |
200 |
274 |
| 7 |
Feb. 9, 1971 |
San Fernando |
CA |
32 |
250 |
| 8 |
Oct. 1, 1987 |
Whittier Narrows |
CA |
75 |
205 |
| 9 |
Nov. 30, 2018 |
Anchorage |
AK |
150 |
189 |
| 10 |
Aug. 23, 2011 |
Virginia |
VA, DC |
100 |
139 |
(1) Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of January 2025.
(2) Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
Source: Aon.
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.
| 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.
Additional Resources
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Significant Earthquakes
Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC), Recent Earthquakes in California and Nevada
