Franklin's Seismic Design Category, explained

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Franklin 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 Franklin sits at the 21th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Franklin by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Franklin: 0.041g peak ground acceleration, 0.085g at short period, 0.05g at 1 second. Within Louisiana alone, Franklin ranks 52 of 59 cities by seismic hazard - the 12th percentile in-state. Franklin has a population of about 6,284.

What a retrofit costs in Franklin

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Franklin 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 Franklin's figures come from

Franklin'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 Franklin.