Salton City homeowners are rattled after a 4.1 magnitude earthquake.
According to the United States Geological Survey, a magnitude-4.1 earthquake struck the Ocotillo Wells, California, area on Monday, May 20, 2024, at 5:17 a.m. Pacific Time.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 10 miles southeast of Ocotillo Wells, in far east San Diego County. Other areas affected by the earthquake include Salton City, Westmorland, Seeley, Borrego Springs, Brawley, Imperial, Calipatria, El Centro, and the Salton Sea.
Salton Sea
Located in southern Riverside and northern Imperial counties in Southern California, the Salton Sea is California’s largest lake, formed in 1905 when floodwater breached an irrigation canal. The Salton Sea ecosystem faces significant threats due to increasing salinity and water quality issues. It is maintained by irrigation runoff from the Imperial and Coachella valleys and local rivers, resulting in a salinity 50% greater than the ocean. This critical resource supports over 400 bird species, although its once-robust marine fishery has been eliminated by rising salinity, leaving tilapia as the primary fish species to sustain bird populations.
Declining inflows and increasing salinity, exacerbated by the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA), which reduces water inflows, threaten the ecosystem. After 2017, salinity levels are expected to exceed the tolerance limit for fish, jeopardizing the remaining fishery. Additionally, water recycling in Mexico has further reduced inflows. To mitigate these effects, the Imperial Irrigation District is preparing a Natural Community Conservation Plan and Habitat Conservation Plan for the Salton Sea.
Reports from this earthquake
A homeowner in San Diego, California, states:
“Felt the ground drop a few seconds while on the sofa in the living room.”
A homeowner in Indio, California, states:
“I have felt earthquakes before, but this one was much more intense than I had ever felt. I got everything back, but my paintings fell, and my fridge was knocked over.”
Did you know that your homeowner insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage?
Given the risk, now is the time to consider how earthquake insurance will provide the protection you don’t get from your homeowners insurance policy.
Your home equity continues to grow while the risk of a devastating earthquake increases, too. Are you prepared to lose all of your hard-earned equity in an instant? And if you experience a total loss, can you afford to rebuild? Now (not afterward) is the right time to consider your Earthquake Insurance options.
Why Choose GeoVera?
GeoVera is the premier stand-alone provider of residential earthquake insurance. It offers innovative insurance solutions in catastrophe-exposed areas and is the longest-tenured provider.
GeoVera uses a strategic and agile approach to developing impactful and reliable products to keep pace with the rise in natural disasters.
GeoVera has decades of experience managing claims for nature’s worst catastrophes and a financial rating of “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. We hope you’ll never need our help, but we’re ready if you do. Ask your insurance agent for a quote today.
