Agents in the San Diego area should take notice of some recent developments. The July earthquakes in Southern California combined with CEA’s increased advertising in San Diego, may lead to more calls and we want you to be prepared.
Step one is to know the earthquake faults in your area. San Diego agents are probably familiar with the Rose Canyon, San Jacinto, and Elsinore Faults. These three faults together comprise most of the known earthquake risk in the county.
Earthquake preparedness in San Diego must be taken seriously. Some may mistakenly assume that this known risk is not as worrisome as the earthquake risk that comes with living in Los Angeles or San Francisco, but they are wrong.
An earthquake ShakeMap from the San Diego Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) shows what could happen if the Rose Canyon Fault were to experience a M6.9 earthquake.
In fact, according to EERI, the risk is real in San Diego—and that’s on a known fault. Keep in mind that the recent M7.1 earthquake that occurred near the town of Ridgecrest ruptured along a previously unknown fault.
The reality is, earthquakes are part of life in California. No matter where in the state you live, it’s not a question of if an earthquake will strike, but when.
That’s why this year, CEA launched a campaign to better prepare all Californians for the next inevitable earthquake. This campaign is designed to raise awareness of earthquake risk in California, and to promote the need to prepare for earthquakes—by planning ahead, retrofitting houses, and buying earthquake insurance.
Raising Earthquake Awareness in San Diego County
CEA began its awareness and marketing campaign in the Los Angeles region in March. We ran a new TV commercial, and increased the number of radio ads in the region. Then in May, the campaign was rolled out in the San Francisco Bay Area, again with an increased media presence across multiple channels.
Now this marketing push has come to San Diego County. If you live there, you’ve been hearing more about earthquake risk and CEA insurance in August. As in Los Angeles and San Francisco, we’ve upped our media presence—running TV, radio, and digital ads, and deploying outdoor transit shelter posters. These efforts will also be supported by a large email blast to homeowners.
As part of this education and marketing effort, a link to essential earthquake information will appear on the websites of multiple media outlets (TV, radio, newspapers) in San Diego County. Each of these media websites will link consumers to a centralized earthquake resource page with tips and information about earthquake risk and preparedness.
Nine Partners Team Up to Provide Earthquake Information
The earthquake resource page is part of CEA’s goal to expand earthquake awareness throughout the state. Joining us in this important effort are eight government and nonprofit organizations, including the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
These partner organizations offer information specific to their respective missions. The American Red Cross, for example, focuses on disaster relief and recovery. Earthquake Brace + Bolt offers information on seismic retrofitting. And CEA explains how to buy earthquake insurance in California and helps CEA policyholders know how to file a claim if their house has been damaged in an earthquake.
In addition, CEA has organized a team of subject matter experts from these preparedness partner organizations, and is leading them on a tour of San Diego newsrooms to brief the media on earthquake awareness and local risk. If you’re a San Diego agent, you’ll surely want to be as well-informed as local news personalities.
Leverage Increased Earthquake Awareness
If you want to take full advantage of CEA’s additional marketing, then you should prepare for the questions you’re certain to get from your insureds and potential new clients. Make sure that you’re a trusted expert when you’re talking to them about earthquake policies.
As always, remind clients that they need a separate policy for earthquakes, and point out that government assistance is limited, and government loans must be paid back.
If it’s been a while since you last took a CEA training, visit the CEA training page on the Agent Portal to brush up on all the benefits offered by CEA earthquake insurance. Our agent training is the best way to prepare for the questions you’re sure to get from your insureds.
CEA’s marketing push has arrived in San Diego. Make sure you get all the tools you need to take advantage of it. Visit our San Diego EQ Headquarters page as well as the Agent Portal today.