Leesville, LA: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Leesville 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 Leesville sits at the 25th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Leesville sits in Louisiana

USGS's underlying values for Leesville: 0.045g peak ground acceleration, 0.092g at short period, 0.058g at 1 second. Within Louisiana alone, Leesville ranks 14 of 59 cities by seismic hazard - the 78th percentile in-state. Leesville has a population of about 5,339.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Leesville 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 Leesville's figures come from

Leesville'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 Leesville.