# Earthquake preparedness guide > Discover how to protect your home, business or farm from earthquakes with these tips, and learn which insurance offers protection against earthquakes. Earthquake preparedness guide: How to minimize and protect yourself from earthquake-related damage Did you know approximately 5,000 earthquakes occur across Canada each year? Coastal British Columbia is at the highest risk for earthquakes, followed by the Yukon, and along the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River valleys in Ontario and Quebec. That said, all provinces and territories have had confirmed earthquakes. While most earthquakes in Canada are small and not felt by humans, experts say it’s only a matter of time before a large-scale earthquake hits, causing extensive damage to Canadians’ homes, businesses and farms. Acera Insurance does more than just offer coverage to protect against a variety of threats — we also educate and empower our clients to minimize risk. Our earthquake preparedness guide provides information that can help you proactively minimize damage that an earthquake may cause to your home, business or farm. We also explain which insurance policies offer protection against earthquake-related losses and how to file an insurance claim. Contents Protect your home from earthquakes Understanding earthquake insurance for your home and vehicle Protect your business from earthquakes Understanding earthquake insurance for your business Protect your farm from earthquakes Understanding earthquake insurance for your farm Stay safe during an earthquake How to file an earthquake insurance claim Answers to your earthquake insurance questions Additional severe weather resources Earthquake information for individuals Protect your home from earthquakes You may not be able to prevent an earthquake, but you can take precautions to help reduce the damage that an earthquake may cause to your home and belongings. Understanding earthquake insurance for your home and vehicle Earthquakes are not automatically covered by property insurance policies, such as: Homeowner insurance Condo insurance Tenant insurance Fortunately, you can often add coverage for earthquake damage to your policy or purchase a separate earthquake insurance policy that will provide coverage should a quake damage your property and belongings. Earthquake information for businesses Protect your business from earthquakes Earthquakes may be unpredictable, but you can still prepare your business before one hits. Preparing your business for an earthquake includes: Minimizing potential property damage Creating a plan to keep employees safe Minimizing potential business interruptions Understanding earthquake insurance for your business Standard commercial property insurance policies exclude coverage for earthquakes. To be covered for earthquake-related damage, your business will need to have earthquake insurance. Earthquake insurance for your business can help cover the costs to repair or replace damaged property, such as: Equipment and machinery Computers, printers, telephones and other electronics Inventory and stock Office furniture Earthquake insurance for businesses also covers: Damaged buildings and exterior fixtures (i.e., signage, fencing, landscaping) Debris removal and cleanup costs Earthquake information for farms Protect your farm from earthquakes Use the proactive tips above to protect your home and business operations, no matter if you run a hobby farm, a large-scale commercial farming operation or anything in between. Understanding earthquake insurance for your farm An earthquake can cause: farm structures to collapse damage to vehicles, farm equipment and machinery crops to be unearthed injury or death among livestock business interruptions Fortunately, insurance can help you rebound from earthquake-related losses. Let’s break down the policies that can offer protection: To ensure your property (i.e., home, barns, facilities) and belongings (i.e., machinery, equipment) are protected from earthquake-related damage you need to have earthquake insurance. This is because earthquake-related damage and loss are not covered by policies such as homeowner insurance and commercial property insurance. To ensure your vehicles are protected from earthquake-related damage, you will need to have comprehensive coverage as part of your auto or fleet insurance policy. Livestock insurance can include coverage for injuries associated with natural catastrophes, while animal mortality insurance includes coverages for death as a result of severe weather. Business interruption insurance can help cover essential costs if your farm operations are directly or indirectly affected by an earthquake. For example, even if your farm doesn’t sustain earthquake-related damage, your commercial farming operation could be halted by road closures and supply chain shortages due to an earthquake. Stay safe during an earthquake How to file an earthquake claim Follow these steps if you have experienced earthquake-related damage or loss: Contact us at your earliest convenience — we're here to support you through the process. Document the damage once it is safe to do so; take photographs and detailed notes. Keep all receipts related to cleanup, repairs, replacements and temporary extra living expenses. You can find answers to common claims questions here. Answers to your earthquake insurance questions Additional severe weather resources Flood preparedness guide Learn how to insure your home and business against flooding and how to minimize flood damage. Flood preparedness guide Wildfire preparedness guide Learn how to insure your home and business against wildfires and how to minimize damage caused by these blazes. Wildfire preparedness guide Hail preparedness guide Learn how to insure your home, business or farm against hail and how to minimize damage caused by these storms. Hail preparedness guide Tornado preparedness guide Tornadoes can form quickly, resulting in extreme winds and thrown debris that can cause extensive damage to homes, vehicles, businesses and farms in a short period of time. While parts of Canada are more prone to tornadoes, a twister can touch down anywhere. These tips can help you be prepared. Tornado preparedness guide Hurricane preparedness guide Learn how to insure your home, business or farm against hurricanes and how to minimize damage caused by these storms. Hurricane preparedness guide