When you buy a home, particularly in an earthquake-prone area such as Southern California, you need to understand what your homeowners insurance will and will not provide coverage for. If your home or possessions are damaged due to an earthquake, chances are that your home insurance will not cover it. Just like the requirement to purchase separate insurance for flood damage, you also need to consider purchasing insurance to protect against damage caused by an earthquake. Southern California is known for the risk of earthquakes due to the San Andreas Fault. Earthquake insurance is virtually essential to pay for structural repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, and even loss of use coverage to help pay for a hotel or other transition shelter while you wait for repairs to be done if your home is uninhabitable. As important as it is to know what it covers, it is also important to know that earthquake insurance typically will not cover a gazebo, storage shed, fence or swimming pool outside of your home. You must have or purchase a homeowners insurance policy in order to add earthquake coverage, contact Weeks & Associates Insurance Services to find out more about your coverage.