Lawrence, IN: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Lawrence is Category B. Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts Lawrence in the 53th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 53% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Lawrence compares

USGS's underlying values for Lawrence: 0.087g peak ground acceleration, 0.173g at short period, 0.082g at 1 second. Within Indiana alone, Lawrence ranks 47 of 126 cities by seismic hazard - the 63th percentile in-state. Lawrence has a population of about 49,817.

What a retrofit costs in Lawrence

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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence's figures come from

Lawrence'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 Lawrence.