Hurricane, WV: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Hurricane 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 Hurricane sits at the 49th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Hurricane by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Hurricane: 0.076g peak ground acceleration, 0.148g at short period, 0.065g at 1 second. Within West Virginia alone, Hurricane ranks 11 of 26 cities by seismic hazard - the 60th percentile in-state. Hurricane has a population of about 6,813.

What a retrofit costs in Hurricane

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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia.

Earthquake insurance for a Hurricane home

A Hurricane 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 Hurricane's figures come from

Hurricane'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 Hurricane.