Definition of "Earthquake Insurance"

Earthquake policies are similar to regular homeowner's policies but without the liability coverage. You choose a dollar ceiling for the dwelling coverage, and a percentage of this ceiling is then applied to coverage's for personal property and additional living expenses (hotel expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable). Premiums for these policies are usually rather steep in the places where you would need to buy one. Until recently, the only place Californians could buy the coverage was from the California Earthquake Authority, which offered skimpy coverage. But the market is opening up again and some other companies are offering old-fashioned policies with better coverage (at higher rates, of course).