Griffith's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Griffith in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Griffith ranks above 35% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 35th percentile.

Griffith by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Griffith: 0.058g peak ground acceleration, 0.118g at short period, 0.067g at 1 second. Within Indiana alone, Griffith ranks 102 of 126 cities by seismic hazard - the 19th percentile in-state. Griffith has a population of about 16,192.

What a retrofit costs in Griffith

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 Indiana 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 Indiana.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Griffith 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 Griffith's figures come from

Griffith'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 Griffith.