The Mississippi Insurance Commissioner is reminding those that live in Mississippi to check their insurance policies for earthquake coverage. This is good advice for all businesses and homeowners in the six state area affected by last week's earthquake. The earthquake last week and aftershocks this morning are really not that unusual in the area.

Mississippi lies in part over the New Madrid Seismic Zone and seismic activity affecting the 6 states bordering the zone is not unusual and may, in fact, be increasing over the past twenty years. In fact, Mississippi insurance regulations require insurers to have informed homeowners in writing of the existence or lack of earthquake and flood insurance in their policies.

This mornings aftershocks were centered in Illinois and measured 4.0 to 4.5 on the richter scale. Such aftershocks are sufficient to cause older buildings and those in a poor state to suffer minor damage. Read your policy and check whether earthquakes are covered in order to make a decision about whether you need a separate policy to cover your business during such events.