Earthquakes are becoming more frequent and stronger in Kansas and Oklahoma. A magnitude 5-point-6 quake, centered in Oklahoma just south of the Kansas state line was felt throughout southern and eastern Kansas and at least five other states Saturday morning. State Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer is reminding Kansas residents that your regular homeowner's policy most likely does not cover earthquake damage and you may want to consider adding it to your policy.
But Kansas has recently become more vulnerable to seismic disruptions. The Kansas Geological Survey says there was an average of one earthquake in Kansas per year between 1990 and 2010. That number jumped to more than 800 in 2014. Geologists believe that the dramatic spike in the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes in the region is related to the use of deep underground injection wells associated with the hydraulic fracturing process used in oil and gas drilling.
