Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • May 2015
05

Aviva assesses Kent earthquake

Open-access content 22nd May 2015

Insurance firm Aviva has people out on the ground to assess the impact of the earthquake that took place in Kent this morning.

2

The firm said it was assessing the impact of the quake and ensuring customers' safety.

John Franklin, media relations manager at Aviva, said: "We've actually got people in the area, they are on the ground there, they are having a look at what the impact is likely to be. They are taking customers' details down, to make sure people are all right. We are being proactive with it."

But the firm felt the earthquake would be unlikely to cause a large number of claims. 

Franklin said: "We haven't actually had any claims coming yet. We're not expecting huge volumes. As the BBC says, there is no evidence of structural or property damage. At this stage we are not expecting too much in really."

Steve Bowen, associate director at Impact Forecasting, said the United States Geological Survey rated the quake at M3.7, which is considered "light". 

"There doesn't appear to be any damage at all, which is to be expected for such a small tremor," he said.

"The UK sees an earthquake of this size about once every two or three years, and about 200 annually, though you don't actually feel most of them. For context, the recent Nepal earthquake was 5,000 times bigger and released 354,813 times more energy."

According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the earthquake occurred this morning at 2:52am, with the epicentre in Ramsgate, Kent. BGS received more than 1,000 "felt reports" from across the country in an online survey of members of the public. 

It said almost all the reports indicated people were awoken from their sleep. More than half described the shaking strength and the sound strength of the earthquake to be "moderate". 

More than two-thirds of the reports said that "windows rattled" and one third reported "furniture shaking".

This article appeared in our May 2015 issue of The Actuary.
Click here to view this issue
Filed in:
05
Topics:
Environment
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Capital contractor

England, London
£700 - £1000 per day
Reference
118813

Senior Financial Risk Actuary

London, England
£55000 - £100000 per annum
Reference
118812

Pricing Technology Lead

England, London
£60000 - £70000 per annum
Reference
118811
See all jobs »
 
 

Most-Popular

 
 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2020 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL. Tel: 020 7880 6200