Does Thomson, GA need an earthquake retrofit?

Thomson carries Seismic Design Category C under USGS's ASCE 7-16 model. 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. Nationally, Thomson ranks above 74% of the 4,875 cities in this dataset for seismic hazard - the 74th percentile.

Where Thomson sits in Georgia

USGS's underlying values for Thomson: 0.142g peak ground acceleration, 0.258g at short period, 0.091g at 1 second. Within Georgia alone, Thomson ranks 18 of 148 cities by seismic hazard - the 88th percentile in-state. Thomson has a population of about 6,792.

Retrofit economics for Thomson

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.

What this means for insurance

A Thomson 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 Thomson's figures come from

Thomson'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 Thomson.