Smithfield, NC: what USGS's seismic model says

Smithfield 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. That puts Smithfield in the 34th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 34% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

How Smithfield compares

USGS's underlying values for Smithfield: 0.056g peak ground acceleration, 0.117g at short period, 0.059g at 1 second. Within North Carolina alone, Smithfield ranks 116 of 147 cities by seismic hazard - the 21th percentile in-state. Smithfield has a population of about 12,806.

What a retrofit costs in Smithfield

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Smithfield 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 Smithfield's figures come from

Smithfield'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 Smithfield.