McAlester's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places McAlester in Seismic Design 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 McAlester sits at the 59th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

McAlester by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for McAlester: 0.117g peak ground acceleration, 0.212g at short period, 0.078g at 1 second. Within Oklahoma alone, McAlester ranks 36 of 75 cities by seismic hazard - the 53th percentile in-state. McAlester has a population of about 18,108.

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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma.

Earthquake insurance for a McAlester home

A McAlester 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 McAlester's figures come from

McAlester'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 McAlester.