Port Townsend, WA: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Port Townsend 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 Port Townsend in the 92th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 92% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Port Townsend by the numbers

USGS's underlying values for Port Townsend: 0.577g peak ground acceleration, 1.347g at short period, 0.492g at 1 second. Within Washington alone, Port Townsend ranks 26 of 125 cities by seismic hazard - the 80th percentile in-state. Port Townsend has a population of about 10,649.

Bracing and bolting: the actual cost

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 Washington 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 Washington.

What this means for insurance

A Port Townsend 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 Port Townsend's figures come from

Port Townsend'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 Port Townsend.