Paragould, AR: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Paragould is Category D. High seismic hazard - this is the category most of coastal California, the Pacific Northwest, and other active fault regions fall into. Code mandates significant seismic detailing and restricts irregular structural configurations. This is the category the Brace + Bolt scope (cripple-wall bracing, foundation bolting) is built for. That puts Paragould in the 95th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 95% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where Paragould sits in Arkansas

USGS's underlying values for Paragould: 0.661g peak ground acceleration, 1.111g at short period, 0.385g at 1 second. Within Arkansas alone, Paragould ranks 7 of 68 cities by seismic hazard - the 91th percentile in-state. Paragould has a population of about 30,680.

What a retrofit costs in Paragould

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 Paragould 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 Paragould's figures come from

Paragould's Category D 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 D does and doesn't tell you about Paragould.