South Fulton's Seismic Design Category, explained

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places South Fulton 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. That puts South Fulton in the 68th percentile nationally for seismic hazard - higher than 68% of the 4,875 US cities USGS was checked against here.

Where South Fulton sits in Georgia

USGS's underlying values for South Fulton: 0.088g peak ground acceleration, 0.177g at short period, 0.084g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, South Fulton ranks 87 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 41th percentile in-state. South Fulton has a population of about 112,003.

What a retrofit costs in South Fulton

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 Georgia 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 Georgia.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A South Fulton 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 South Fulton's figures come from

South Fulton'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 South Fulton.