Does Brookville, OH need an earthquake retrofit?

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Brookville is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Brookville in the 50th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 50% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Brookville by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Brookville: 0.08g peak ground acceleration, 0.151g at short period, 0.072g at 1 second. Within Ohio alone, Brookville ranks 45 of 254 cities by seismic hazard - the 83th percentile in-state. Brookville has a population of about 5,946.

Retrofit economics for Brookville

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 Ohio 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 Ohio.

What this means for insurance

A Brookville 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 Brookville's figures come from

Brookville'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 Brookville.