Corps: Quake didn’t affect Tenkiller, Fort Gibson dams
According to the Office of the
"If there is an earthquake with a 4.5 magnitude within a 10-mile radius of the dam, we send an inspection team out," Parrish said. "We send teams if it's a 5 magnitude within a 50-mile radius, a 6 within a 75-mile radius, a 7 within a 125-mile radius, or an 8 within a 200-mile radius, and these are in addition to our regular inspections."
Parrish said many factors -- like where the epicenter is and how deep the quake was -- affect the energy output of an earthquake. He said the Keystone, Kaw,
"Those were inspected, and we had teams out within about three hours. That's pretty quick, especially considering it was a holiday weekend," Parrish said. "They didn't find any damage at our structures that was within those radius."
Parrish said
"If an earthquake happened right underneath a dam -- well, that's a whole different ball of wax, but we haven't any damage to our dams," Parrish said. "You're dealing with massive concrete structures designed to take a lot of force, and water is a very powerful force. Anytime there is seismic activity, we take it seriously, but we haven't see anything."
Due to the increase in earthquakes around the state, many homeowners may also be concerned about the possibility of damage to their property. Earthquake damage is not covered in a standard homeowners policy, and many insurance companies will not sell coverage immediately after an earthquake.
Local
"It's not a separate policy; it's an endorsement that allows the homeowners to cover that damage," Hodson said. "They do have pay extra, and the cost can vary with different companies. Right now, we have a 30-day moratorium, meaning we can't add the endorsement within 30 days of this particular incident. That is company-based, though, and I've heard some companies have a six-month moratorium."
There's been talk that some insurance companies would not cover damages determined to come from man-made quakes, but Hodson said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner
"We've gotten a lot of inquiries and we've added quite a few [endorsements]," Hodson said. "Each person needs to look their options to decide whether they want to purchase earthquake insurance."
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