Woodruff, SC: what USGS's seismic model says

Under the seismic model IBC and ASCE 7 use for new construction, Woodruff is 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 Woodruff sits at the 75th percentile for seismic hazard among 4,875 US cities.

Where Woodruff sits in South Carolina

USGS's underlying values for Woodruff: 0.157g peak ground acceleration, 0.279g at short period, 0.093g at 1 second. Within South Carolina alone, Woodruff ranks 52 of 66 cities by seismic hazard - the 22th percentile in-state. Woodruff has a population of about 5,072.

Retrofit economics for Woodruff

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 South 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 South Carolina.

Insuring against this, not just retrofitting

A Woodruff 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 Woodruff's figures come from

Woodruff'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 Woodruff.