Augusta-Richmond County, GA: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Augusta-Richmond County in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. That puts Augusta-Richmond County in the 73th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 73% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where Augusta-Richmond County sits in Georgia

USGS's underlying values for Augusta-Richmond County: 0.134g peak ground acceleration, 0.253g at short period, 0.095g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Augusta-Richmond County ranks 24 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 84th percentile in-state. Augusta-Richmond County has a population of about 201,737.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Georgia 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 Georgia.

Earthquake insurance for a Augusta-Richmond County home

A Augusta-Richmond County 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-Richmond County's figures come from

Augusta-Richmond County's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Augusta-Richmond County.