El Dorado's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places El Dorado in Seismic Design 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. Nationally, El Dorado ranks above 68% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 68th percentile.

El Dorado by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for El Dorado: 0.081g peak ground acceleration, 0.166g at short period, 0.089g at 1 second. Within Arkansas alone, El Dorado ranks 45 of 68 cities by seismic hazard - the 34th percentile in-state. El Dorado has a population of about 16,657.

What a retrofit costs in El Dorado

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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas.

What this means for insurance

A El Dorado 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 El Dorado's figures come from

El Dorado'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 El Dorado.