Covington, VA: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Covington is Category B. 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 Covington sits at the 53th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Covington by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Covington: 0.091g peak ground acceleration, 0.169g at short period, 0.061g at 1 second. Within Virginia alone, Covington ranks 25 of 63 cities by seismic hazard - the 61th percentile in-state. Covington has a population of about 5,663.

Retrofit economics for Covington

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 Virginia 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 Virginia.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Covington 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 Covington's figures come from

Covington'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 Covington.