Does Hyattsville, MD need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Hyattsville in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Nationally, Hyattsville ranks above 43% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 43th percentile.

Hyattsville by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Hyattsville: 0.068g peak ground acceleration, 0.133g at short period, 0.043g at 1 second. Within Maryland alone, Hyattsville ranks 21 of 46 cities by seismic hazard - the 56th percentile in-state. Hyattsville has a population of about 21,052.

What a retrofit costs in Hyattsville

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 Maryland 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 Maryland.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Hyattsville 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 Hyattsville's figures come from

Hyattsville'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 Hyattsville.