Gillette, WY: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Gillette in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Gillette in the 60th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 60% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Gillette by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Gillette: 0.132g peak ground acceleration, 0.233g at short period, 0.056g at 1 second. Within Wyoming alone, Gillette ranks 14 of 16 cities by seismic hazard - the 13th percentile in-state. Gillette has a population of about 33,846.

What a retrofit costs in Gillette

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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Gillette 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 Gillette's figures come from

Gillette'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 Gillette.