New London, CT: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places New London in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. That puts New London in the 57th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 57% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where New London sits in Connecticut

USGS's underlying values for New London: 0.104g peak ground acceleration, 0.189g at short period, 0.052g at 1 second. Within Connecticut alone, New London ranks 17 of 21 cities by seismic hazard - the 20th percentile in-state. New London has a population of about 28,081.

What a retrofit costs in New London

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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A New London 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 New London's figures come from

New London'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 New London.