Caledonia, WI: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Caledonia is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Caledonia in the 21th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 21% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Caledonia by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Caledonia: 0.04g peak ground acceleration, 0.082g at short period, 0.051g at 1 second. Within Wisconsin alone, Caledonia ranks 24 of 157 cities by seismic hazard - the 85th percentile in-state. Caledonia has a population of about 25,240.

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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.

Earthquake insurance for a Caledonia home

A Caledonia 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 Caledonia's figures come from

Caledonia'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 Caledonia.