Webb City, MO: what USGS's seismic model says

USGS's ASCE 7-16 seismic design model - the same standard building codes use - places Webb City in Seismic Design Category B: Low seismic hazard. Code requires basic seismic detailing (bracing, connections) but no special structural system restrictions. Rank it against the rest of the country and Webb City sits at the 36th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

How Webb City compares

USGS's underlying values for Webb City: 0.059g peak ground acceleration, 0.125g at short period, 0.08g at 1 second. Within Missouri alone, Webb City ranks 100 of 135 cities by seismic hazard - the 26th percentile in-state. Webb City has a population of about 13,391.

What a retrofit costs in Webb City

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 Missouri 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 Missouri.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Webb City 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 Webb City's figures come from

Webb City'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 Webb City.