ABOUT US
The California Insurance Emergency Response Association (CIERA) began as an ad hoc insurance industry initiative, called the Natural Catastrophe (Nat Cat) Planning Group, following the 2011 earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan. Insurance claims and catastrophe executives began studying catastrophe loss scenarios around the world and selected California earthquake risk as the focal point for further study and potential pre-disaster, industry-wide response planning. They invited the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) to join in the fall of 2016. CEA participating residential insurers and other insurers, the Surplus Line Association of California, and independent claims adjusting and engineering firms have also joined the collaborative effort.
Membership
CIERA membership will be available to both individuals and organizations, with annual membership fees covering the basic costs of administration and pre-disaster planning. During this early phase of the organization’s formation, membership in CIERA will be paid via in-kind contributions of personnel time to attend monthly and annual meetings. When a response is triggered, members will pay for post-disaster response services through pre-agreed arrangements.

Damaged apartment building, 1989 M6.9 Loma Prieta Earthquake