Missouri ranks third behind California and Washington in the amount of earthquake insurance purchased in the United States.

More than 25 percent of all California homeowners have earthquake insurance, which amounts to more than $925 million in coverage, about three-fourths of all the quake insurance coverage in the nation.

Washington homeowners have about $58 million in earthquake insurance coverage. Following, in order, are Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee, all with areas in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

Forty-four percent, or more than 712,600 Missouri homeowners, had earthquake insurance in 1996. That accounted for more than $33 million in coverage, up about 3 percent over the past three years.

That percentage soars to 68.2 percent in the 24 secondary earthquake zone counties in the New Madrid fault zone.

Earthquake insurance isn't cheap in some areas. In California, getting earthquake coverage means paying an average of more than $150 annually more for homeowners insurance.

In Missouri, the average cost of earthquake insurance statewide is 52 cents per $1,000, according to the Missouri Department of Insurance. But in earthquake-prone areas, it can cost more.

In the six most earthquake-prone counties of Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott and Stoddard, the average cost is 84 cents per $1,000. It ranges up to 94 cents per $1,000 in Mississippi and New Madrid counties.

Premiums jumped as much as 12 percent in the Bootheel counties during the past year, shoving the rates up more than 30 percent over a three-year period. That more than tripled the 8 percent increase statewide.

Rates actually decreased over the past year in the St. Louis and St. Louis County metropolitan areas, which are included in the state's secondary zone.

Earthquake insurance is still a bargain, even with increased rates in the Bootheel, said Jay Angoff, insurance department state director.

Overall, Missouri quake insurance rates increased an average of 0.5 percent, including coverage in Southeast Missouri, reaching 52 cents per $1,000 of coverage.

Those figures translate into an annual premium of $52 for a $100,000 home, or $78 for a $150,000 home.

For the first time since the insurance department started an earthquake monitoring project in 1993, a slight decline was noted in the percentage of homes covered for quake damage in the Bootheel. The New Madrid fault is in the Bootheel.

In the six most quake-prone counties, 62 percent of the homes are covered, down about 4 percent from 1995 figures. Coverage ranged from 46.5 percent of homeowners in Pemiscot County to 70.9 percent of them in Scott County.

Many Missourians are aware they live in an area where an earthquake can occur, said Calvin Call, executive director of the Missouri Insurance Information Service. "But not everyone knows whether or not they have insurance protection against losses caused by an earthquake."

The insurance department reports there are approximately 218 insurance companies authorized to sell earthquake insurance in the state.

Some Missourians, however, don't know that, like flood insurance, earthquake insurance is not provided in a standard homeowner policy.

Earthquake coverage typically is available only as a rider or endorsement to a basic homeowner policy.

Earthquake rates have increased more rapidly for older homes in the Bootheel area. In the six earthquake-prone counties, average costs rose to 87 cents per $1,000, or $87 for a $100.000 home. Those costs rose to a high of 94 cents in Mississippi and New Madrid counties, resulting in a three-year increase of 41.7 percent.

In the 24 secondary earthquake zone counties that include the Bootheel, St. Louis County and city, St. Charles, and Cape Girardeau County, the overall average cost rose 8.1 percent, or less than the inflation rate from 1993 to 1996. In St. Louis city, however, premiums rose 19.8 percent over the three-year period, with increases averaging 153 percent for older homes, many of which are masonry constructed and more susceptible to major damages.

Still, cost per $1,000 averaged 81 cents in St. Louis City, 57 cents in St. Louis County, 45 cents in Jefferson County and 40 cents in St. Charles County. Average premiums actually dropped 4.7 percent in St. Louis County and 1.3 percent in St. Louis City. Only 46 percent of insured St. Louis city homes carry earthquake riders, compared to 73 percent in St. Louis County.

In Cape Girardeau County, rates have increased 20.1 percent over the past three years and 6.1 percent during the past year. More than 80 percent of Cape Girardeau County homeowners have earthquake coverage.

A total of 30 counties in Southern Illinois are considered "most at risk" for damage from the New Madrid fault, including a half-dozen extreme Southern Illinois counties: Alexander, Pulaski, Union, Massac, Johnson and Pope.

The New Madrid fault zone, site of a major earthquake in 1811, produces hundreds of small earthquakes a year, but few that read 4.0 or higher on the Richter scale.

The New Madrid seismic zone continues to be the most active seismic zone east of the Rocky Mountains. The fault runs roughly from Marked Tree, Ark., into Southern Illinois.

In 1991, an earthquake described as minor rattled windows and dishes, shook pictures on walls, and rattled a few bricks loose. The National Earthquake Information Center in Denver said the May 24, 1991, tremor measured 4.6 on the Richter scale and was centered 10 miles west of New Madrid.

The year before, in September 1990, a 4.6 quake centered in the New Hamburg area was recorded.

Minor quakes are common along the fault, but during 1990 and 1991, people became more aware of even the small tremors. Iben Browning, a New Mexico climatologist who has since died, predicted a 50 percent chance for a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault on or about Dec. 3, 1990.

During fall 1990, people began stocking up on canned goods and bottled water, devising escape routes in case of a major quake while they were at work or at home, and buying earthquake insurance to protect their property.

But Dec. 3 came and went, nothing happened, and gradually people stopped talking about the threat.