Scientists are admitting the likelihood of a massive earthquake along the San Andreas Fault is higher than previous predictions.

The Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, released in March, states that newly discovered fault zones could see a quake jumping between them.  The cascading quake could reach an earthquake of 8.0 or greater.

The odds of a mega-quake increased from 4.7 percent to 7 percent.

The report also said that the odds of a medium level quake has decreased along the lines of the increase of a massive quake.

The southern section of the San Andreas Fault has not seen a massive earthquake in almost 300 years.  The last major quake along the fault took place in 1989 near Santa Cruz, California during Game 3 of the 1989 World Series.   63 people died in that earthquake.  The state’s last major quake overall was the 1994 Northridge quake along a previously undiscovered fault line that left 57 dead and 5,000 injured.

California’s Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says that he worries about the next “big one.”

“If you ask me what keeps me awake at night, it’s the strong likelihood of a large earthquake,” he said.

Amazingly, despite the fact the state is hit with 1,000 earthquakes a year (most of very small magnitude), only 11 percent of homeowners and renters in the state have earthquake insurance.  Only a comparable number of businesses have insurance.

“It has been 21 years since the last major earthquake in the state and many rationalise that they can do without,” Robert Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute said.  “Unfortunately, too many seem willing to play Russian roulette with what is likely to be their most valuable asset, their home.”