Switzerland is a nation lying across a number of significant fault lines making it highly exposed to the risk of earthquakes. The mountainous canton of Valais is the region at highest risk, followed by Basel, Graubünden, the St. Gallen Rhine Valley, and central Switzerland. The largest earthquake in Switzerland’s recorded history occurred in Basel in […]
Despite the exposure to seismic risk, few Swiss homeowners take out earthquake insurance
According to reinsurer, Swiss Re, over three quarters of private buildings in Switzerland have no earthquake coverage. Because earthquakes are rare and are quickly forgotten, public risk perception is low. Even Switzerland, with its well developed insurance culture is no exception. Swiss Re describes Switzerland as a country with a medium seismic hazard. The strongest […]
Earthquakes a serious hazard for parts of Switzerland
The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich recently completed ten years of earthquake research. Their new model shows that earthquakes are a serious hazard for Switzerland and the natural hazard with the greatest potential for causing damage. The SED published a model showing possible future earthquakes and the associated ground movements, which vary by […]
