Colorado Wildfires

Thousands of acres in Colorado have burned in the past few days as wildfires have swept across Colorado. If you live in Colorado (or any other area prone to wildfires), now is a great time to remind prospective customers of the value of a home inventory service.

One of my first exposures to the need for a home inventory came more than eight years ago, when one of my colleagues lost everything she had in a Colorado wildfire. She didn't have an inventory of her possessions and I donated some books to help her start rebuilding her professional library.

When I wrote about the South Carolina wildfires, I noted that the threat is year-round. Be prepared with your news release (linked to in that blog post) to educate the media in your area about the need for a home inventory.

California Earthquake Forecast

If California wildfires weren't enough, the latest California Earthquake Forecast says "The Big One" is a near certainty in the next 30 years.

According to the report, which brought together experts from the U.S. Geological Survey, USC's Southern California Earthquake Center and the State Geological Survey, also found that California is virtually certain to experience at least one major tremblor by 2028.

Bay Area earthquake probability map (Southern California Earthquake Center)

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Southern California earthquake probability map (Southern California Earthquake Center)

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According to the research, the chance of a 6.7 magnitude temblor -- the size of the 1994 Northridge quake -- during this period is 97% in Southern California and 93% in Northern California. The chance of a 7.5 quake -- which shakes at 16 times the intensity of a 6.7 quake -- is 37% in Southern California and 15% in Northern California.

The California Earthquake Authority asked researchers to create a statewide earthquake forecast model that could be used to set insurance rates. The research will be used to update "seismic hazard maps" warning residents and local governments about areas that have the greatest danger of property damage and loss of life in the event of a catastrophic temblor.

If your target market is California, this is yet another potential hazard to add to the list of reasons why homeowners should have a comprehensive home inventory.