In mid-November 2016, the tourist town of Kaikoura in New Zealand was rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, cutting off the town and stranding many tourists who were visiting the area which is famous for its whale watching trips. In August, a quake in central Italy killed 270, with the effects felt many miles away. Nobody wants to get caught up in a natural disaster when on holiday, so is travel to Italy, New Zealand and other earthquake zones advisable?
Know the Risks
Earthquakes happen every day. On average, there are 40 earthquakes each and every day of 2.5 magnitude or more, and many more minor quakes which are not as severe. Most of these earthquakes do not cause damage to building or injury to people. Some parts of the world, close to where the earth’s massive plates meet, are more prone to earthquakes than other. Japan, New Zealand and the west coasts of North and South America see the greatest numbers of earthquakes. Earthquakes in southern Europe are generally less common. There is lots of information online which allows you to track earthquake activity around the planet and look at which areas could be high risk.
What To Do In An Emergency
We’re all used to fire evacuation posters in hotels in the UK, and if you’re travelling to an earthquake prone area you’ll find earthquake information too. All hotels in Japan, for example, have a torch secured next to the bed for emergency use. If you are inside when an earthquake hits, the best advice is to get under a table or desk and wait until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows. When the shaking stops, get outside and away from buildings wherever possible. If you are outside, stay where you are and try to stay away from streetlights or wires in case they fall. If driving, stop your car as soon as it is safe to do so. Once the immediate danger has passed, follow instructions from Police or other first responders.
Travel Insurance and Natural Disasters
Natural Disasters are a grey area when it comes to travel insurance. Insurance is designed to protect you from the unknown or unpredicted, and many will exclude “known events”. Once a hurricane has been given a name and its progress is being tracked, it’s no longer a natural disaster and is a “known event”. Forecasted storms and ongoing volcanic eruptions are also known events, and may be excluded from many policies. Earthquakes complicate the matter further – although the initial quake may not be predicted, aftershocks are common and may well be considered known events. If you are travelling to an area where earthquakes are common, it’s very important to know what you are covered for and what is excluded. You may be able to buy additional cover to protect you against earthquakes if you consider the risk to be high. Remember that in countries such as Italy, Greece or the other countries in Europe which are prone to earthquakes, you will be covered for health emergencies by your EHIC.