Pelham, NY: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Pelham 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 Pelham sits at the 65th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Pelham by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Pelham: 0.18g peak ground acceleration, 0.291g at short period, 0.061g at 1 second. Within New York alone, Pelham ranks 28 of 170 cities by seismic hazard - the 84th percentile in-state. Pelham has a population of about 7,579.

What a retrofit costs in Pelham

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 New York 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 New York.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Pelham 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 Pelham's figures come from

Pelham'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 Pelham.