Dalhart's Seismic Design Category, explained

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

Dalhart by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Dalhart: 0.08g peak ground acceleration, 0.15g at short period, 0.042g at 1 second. Within Texas alone, Dalhart ranks 18 of 384 cities by seismic hazard - the 96th percentile in-state. Dalhart has a population of about 8,443.

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 Texas 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 Texas.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Dalhart 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 Dalhart's figures come from

Dalhart'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 Dalhart.