Post Falls's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Post Falls in Seismic Design Category C: Moderate seismic hazard. Code adds irregular-building restrictions and requires bracing of some nonstructural components (e.g. tall shelving, water heaters) in addition to structural detailing. Rank it against the rest of the country and Post Falls sits at the 74th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Post Falls sits in Idaho

USGS's underlying values for Post Falls: 0.147g peak ground acceleration, 0.328g at short period, 0.113g at 1 second. Within Idaho alone, Post Falls ranks 16 of 36 cities by seismic hazard - the 57th percentile in-state. Post Falls has a population of about 45,800.

Retrofit economics for Post Falls

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 Idaho 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 Idaho.

Earthquake insurance for a Post Falls home

A Post Falls 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 Post Falls's figures come from

Post Falls's Category C 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 C does and doesn't tell you about Post Falls.