Decatur, GA: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Decatur is 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. Rank it against the rest of the country and Decatur sits at the 69th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Decatur sits in Georgia

USGS's underlying values for Decatur: 0.091g peak ground acceleration, 0.182g at short period, 0.085g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Decatur ranks 85 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 43th percentile in-state. Decatur has a population of about 24,482.

What a retrofit costs in Decatur

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.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Decatur 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 Decatur's figures come from

Decatur'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 Decatur.