While the aboveground threat from weather events is undeniably serious, it often pales in comparison to the threat from below.
Earthquakes cause massive damage.
The simple fact is, no area of California is immune from earthquakes,'' says Mark Leonard, a spokesman for the California Earthquake Authority. The organization, funded by premiums and member insurance companies, sells policies to the nearly 30 percent of state residents who have purchased quake coverage. Private insurers in California are also required to sell their own policies if they don't participate in CEA, Leonard says. But people living on the West Coast aren't the only ones that should be concerned about earthquakes. Residents of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas also face a possible threat from shaky ground.