Mount Carmel, TN: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Mount Carmel is 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. Nationally, Mount Carmel ranks above 76% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 76th percentile.

How Mount Carmel compares

USGS's underlying values for Mount Carmel: 0.184g peak ground acceleration, 0.31g at short period, 0.092g at 1 second. Within Tennessee alone, Mount Carmel ranks 84 of 104 cities by seismic hazard - the 19th percentile in-state. Mount Carmel has a population of about 5,549.

What a retrofit costs in Mount Carmel

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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Mount Carmel 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 Mount Carmel's figures come from

Mount Carmel'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 Mount Carmel.