Does Lowell, AR need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Lowell in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Rank it against the rest of the country and Lowell sits at the 67th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Lowell compares

USGS's underlying values for Lowell: 0.075g peak ground acceleration, 0.158g at short period, 0.091g at 1 second. Within Arkansas alone, Lowell ranks 54 of 68 cities by seismic hazard - the 21th percentile in-state. Lowell has a population of about 11,568.

Retrofit economics for Lowell

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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas.

What this means for insurance

A Lowell 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 Lowell's figures come from

Lowell's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Lowell.