A February earthquake in Nevada continues to influence Utah Valley, causing an upsurge in interest in earthquake insurance.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake damaged hundreds of homes near Wells, Nevada, on Feb. 21 at 6:16 a.m. By 5 p.m. that day, 11 aftershocks registering 4.0 or larger had occurred.

Since that day, dozens of aftershocks of different strengths, including aftershocks this month, have continued to rattle the region, according to the Nevada Seismological Laboratory.

A portion of Wells High School, damaged in the quake, reopened for the first time this month. Students had been using portables, according to media reports. The rest of the school will be under construction through summer.

Kyle Fuller, a Farmers insurance representative in Orem, said he normally gets a single call or less per month about earthquake insurance but has received between 25 and 50 calls since the earthquake, with half or more actually purchasing a policy.

Worrying about the need for earthquake insurance just "does not cross people's minds" until some natural disaster, especially this close to home, brings it to the fore, he said.

The usual reasons for not having earthquake insurance include cost, a belief or hope that such an earthquake will never happen here, and a belief the government will rescue affected homeowners should disaster strike, Fuller said.

But since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, fewer people have been willing to rely on the belief in government help, and when disasters happen close to home, people begin to think about how to protect themselves, Fuller said.

"I think before Katrina, people saw FEMA as the answer to getting a house rebuilt," he said.

Both agents agreed that perhaps the largest discouragement to getting earthquake insurance is price, which can double as homeowner insurance costs. Deductibles for earthquake insurance, usually set at 5 or 10 percent of the cost of rebuilding, are higher than normal home coverage.

When people do sign up for earthquake insurance, some families opt to drop the coverage after only a year or two, usually because the homeowner begins comparing insurance costs with friends or neighbors who do not have quake coverage, Fuller said.

The alternative, however, is also not attractive. If an uninsured home is destroyed by quake, homeowners could face not only the cost of rebuilding, but also be stuck paying off their first mortgage on a home that no longer exists. If an area is declared an emergency area by the government, homeowners may qualify for low-interest loans, but those do have to be paid back.

"It's taking a big risk," said Fuller about homeowners who choose to go without earthquake insurance.

In light of potentially carrying two mortgages, paying a few hundred dollars a year for earthquake coverage is an investment that homeowners should consider, the agents said.

"A lot of people don't think about what could happen in an earthquake if their house is condemned or collapses," Torgerson said. "They are left without a home but still have the mortgage. Most people don't think about that. If an earthquake does happen, there are going to be a lot of people wishing they had [insurance]."

State Farm has also seen a spike in interest since the Wells quake, said spokeswoman Cheryl Willis-Blakes.

"We have seen a steady increase in requests" she said. "We believe it is in direct relation to the earthquake."

She suggested that those shopping for quake coverage consider the company's ability to pay out the large number of claims that could come from an earthquake, and whether the company would have enough claim agents to process mass claims in a timely manner.

People should also review their coverage to find out whether they have earthquake insurance and whether the amount needed to rebuild the home is up to date, she said.