Haven’t the events of the last 10 days been pretty devastating. My heart goes out to the tens of thousands of people affected by the earthquake in Christchurch last weekend. In particular it really saddens me to hear that as many as 5% of the Canterbury population may not be able eligible for insurance for their homes because they are uninsured.
In my post today, I want to focus on two particular issues.
1) Getting Earthquake insurance
2) Having a plan when an earthquake strikes
This really means “Do you have insurance?” New Zealand is very fortunate because we have The Earthquake Commission (EQC) http://www.eqc.govt.nz/ which essentially means we get up to $100,000 cover for our home and up to $20,000 cover for our home contents; provided by the EQC, before our private insurance kicks in. The only catch is that you need to have private insurance in order to qualify for this cover from the EQC. If you don’t have any insurance please get some.
Do you have an Earthquake disaster plan?
Yeah yeah, it may sound like I am on the bandwagon here, but a friend asked me this yesterday, and quite frankly I don’t, and it concerned me. So here’s a couple of compelling reasons why I am going home tonight and organising one.
1) In all likelihood, our ability to communicate with one another would be hampered, and at the worst-case scenario compromised
Solution: Have a meeting place planned for the family. Whilst in a sparse city like Auckland, there could be logistical issues. Never-the-less a plan is a good start, and it gets you and your family on the right page.
2) You don’t know how long you are on your own for
Solution: The “Get Thru”website recommends 3 days rations, but I would almost say a weeks’ worth may be better. If the big one hits, you just don’t know how alone you’ll be or for how long…..
All doom and gloom aside, check out the “Get Thru” government website. There’s a heap of practical tips and checklists to help you and your family prepare for an Earthquake.
If you also wish to make a donation, check out Red Cross website: www.redcross.org.nz
100% of donations will reach the people that need them.