Augusta's Seismic Design Category, explained

Augusta carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Rank it against the rest of the country and Augusta sits at the 22th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Augusta by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Augusta: 0.042g peak ground acceleration, 0.089g at short period, 0.057g at 1 second. Within Kansas alone, Augusta ranks 48 of 63 cities by seismic hazard - the 24th percentile in-state. Augusta has a population of about 9,103.

What a retrofit costs in Augusta

A full earthquake retrofit typically runs $5,000-$10,000 nationally (around $7,000 typical), driven mainly by house size and foundation type, not by Kansas specifically. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant, which covers a large share of this cost, is a California-only program and does not apply in Kansas.

What this means for insurance

A Augusta homeowner cannot buy a standalone earthquake policy in most cases - it is added to an existing homeowners policy as an endorsement, so the place to start is a regular home-insurance quote.

Where Augusta's figures come from

Augusta's Category B and every number above trace to USGS's own ASCE 7-16 Design Maps service - see the methodology guide. See the category explainer for what Category B does and doesn't tell you about Augusta.