Picayune, MS: what USGS's seismic model says

Picayune carries Seismic Design Category B under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. 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 Picayune sits at the 26th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Picayune sits in Mississippi

USGS's underlying values for Picayune: 0.045g peak ground acceleration, 0.093g at short period, 0.06g at 1 second. Within Mississippi alone, Picayune ranks 56 of 61 cities by seismic hazard - the 8th percentile in-state. Picayune has a population of about 12,017.

What a retrofit costs in Picayune

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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi.

What this means for insurance

A Picayune 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 Picayune's figures come from

Picayune'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 Picayune.