Does Soddy-Daisy, TN need an earthquake retrofit?

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Soddy-Daisy 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 Soddy-Daisy sits at the 79th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Soddy-Daisy sits in Tennessee

USGS's underlying values for Soddy-Daisy: 0.299g peak ground acceleration, 0.465g at short period, 0.122g at 1 second. Within Tennessee alone, Soddy-Daisy ranks 72 of 104 cities by seismic hazard - the 31th percentile in-state. Soddy-Daisy has a population of about 13,430.

Retrofit economics for Soddy-Daisy

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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Soddy-Daisy 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 Soddy-Daisy's figures come from

Soddy-Daisy'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 Soddy-Daisy.