Earthquake Advice - Norwich Union Policyholders

[beccus]

This is the information from our intranet site - please be very aware of loose tiles/bricks etc as they could cause some injury. I can't say that earthquakes are standardly covered by all companies, but are by us.

"The earth quake measured 5.3 on the Richter scale and was the UK's biggest in 25 years. We are urging home owners in affected areas to check their properties for any further damage today and to be aware of any loose or unstable brick work or tiles.
Earthquakes are covered as standard in both contents and buildings insurance, so any damage or loss suffered by our customers as a result of the earth quake will be covered".

Hope this helps
Becca

[tiglet]

Thanks for that.

[honey5]

well the earth didnt move for me last night thats for sure

The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years has shaken homes across large parts of England.
People in Newcastle, Yorkshire, London, Manchester, the Midlands and Norfolk and also parts of Wales, felt the tremor just before 0100 GMT.
An elderly man suffered leg injuries when a chimney collapsed in Wombwell in South Yorkshire, emergency crews said.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) said magnitude of 5.3 and the epicentre was near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.
Bev Finnegan, who lives in the town, said: "I was terrified to be honest. The noise was really, really terrifying... it was so deep and rumbling.
"It felt like the roof was going to fall in. There were people coming out in their dressing gowns wondering what it was. It was quite an experience."

A Lincolnshire police spokeswoman said the force had received dozens of calls from residents but there were no reports of anyone in the county being injured.

"There is slight structural damage, cracks and a couple of chimneys damaged. There's nothing serious at present.
"Mostly people were distressed by it so there were a large quantity of calls coming in."
Speaking from Gainsborough, Mike Thomas, chief fire officer for Lincolnshire, said crews had been called out to 50 incidents and one fire as a result of the quake.
Speaking on BBC News, Justin Cowell in Gainsborough, said: "It started as a massive shake.
"People had come out into the street. It seemed the whole town had woken up."
Tom Edwards, from Heckington, Lincolnshire, said he heard a noise like "an underground train and an enormous roar".
"I thought I was probably going to get killed."
Dr Brian Baptie of the BGS said: "An earthquake of this size, of magnitude five or thereabouts, will occur roughly every ten to 20 years in the UK," he said.
'Rare' quake
The BGS recorded an aftershock with a magnitude of 1.8 at about 0400 GMT.
The main 10-second quake, which struck at 0056 GMT at a depth of 15.4km (9.6 miles), was the biggest recorded example since one with a magnitude of 5.4 struck north Wales in 1984.

Dr Baptie said: "The largest earthquake that we know about that has struck the UK was about 100km off the east coast of England on the Dogger Bank and it had a magnitude of 6.1.
"So we can get these kind of moderate to significant earthquakes of this size but they're relatively rare."

Thousands of people from across England contacted the BBC to described how their homes shook during the tremor.
Jemma Harrison, 22, in Bury, Greater Manchester, said: "It was really bad. I was fast asleep and woke up and the room was shaking and there was a loud bang and alarms were going off."



'Like a jelly mould'
Natasha Cavey, in Tipton in the West Midlands, said: "All my cupboard doors flew open and the whole house shook, it was unreal. I can't believe it."
David in Alrewas in Staffordshire said: "The birds were flying around like it was daylight.
"It was quite severe. I experienced the Dudley one and this was more severe.
"I went outside to see if the roof had collapsed. I could see the furniture in the room moving, it was like it was on a jelly mould."
David Somerset, 41, from Driffield near Beverley in East Yorkshire, said: "I have never felt one as strong as that one before. I was in my sitting room and the grandfather clock was rattling rather violently.
"It was very strong, I felt the whole room moving."
Philip Norton, a BBC reporter for Look North in Hull, said: "Everything started wobbling.
"The windows were rattling and the blinds were visibily moving. "It sounded like the roof was coming in."
Jamil Ali in Sheffield said: "I woke up and the first thing I thought was that there were a load of burglars in the house.
"The kids were screaming and so was my wife. It was that violent you actually moved yourself."
The West Midlands was hit by an earthquake in 2002 in the Dudley area that reached a magnitude of 5.0 and one measuring 4.3 hit Folkstone in Kent last year.

BBC NEWS | England | Earthquake felt across much of UK


honestly never knew bout it till now
honey x

[Lula]

nope me either, we must both sleep the sleep of the righteous and were not disturbed, I remember as a kid growing up in Staffordshire they were quite common and generally put down to heavy mining work that used to happen. but it seems that this was a pukka quake

[honey5]

it says in the report it was felt in newcastle, i was up until well after 3 with the little fella last night
just hope the damage for people hasnt been too bad
honey x