Full street address works best. No address handy? Use my current location.
🏠 Compare earthquake insurance quotes
Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage. If you're in a moderate-to-high hazard area, compare dedicated earthquake coverage.
What the hazard levels mean
High & very high hazard (Seismic Design Category D–F)
Strong to very strong ground shaking is expected over a building's life. Substantial seismic-resistant design is required; near major faults (E/F) a site-specific ground-motion study is typically needed. Common along the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of the Intermountain West and New Madrid region.
Moderate hazard (Seismic Design Category C)
Occasional moderate earthquakes are credible. New buildings require moderate seismic-resistant design and detailing.
Low & very low hazard (Seismic Design Category A–B)
Damaging earthquakes are infrequent. Ordinary buildings carry little to no special seismic detailing. Common across much of the eastern and central US — though "low" is not "zero," as events like New Madrid and Charleston show.
Outside the model (no USGS value)
The USGS model covers the US and its territories, not the whole globe. For points outside it (e.g. open ocean), this tool tells you honestly that no value is available — it never implies "no risk."
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Join the list and we'll send a plain-English seismic-risk summary and practical steps to reduce quake damage and insurance cost. These go out as they're written, not instantly. No spam.
Common questions
How accurate is this?
Values come live from the USGS Seismic Design Web Services, which evaluate the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model — the same model U.S. building codes (ASCE 7) are based on. It's informational, not a site-specific engineering study. The Seismic Design Category also depends on your actual soil (Site Class); this tool assumes stiff/unknown soil (Site Class D) unless you specify otherwise via the API.
Does earthquake hazard affect my home insurance?
Yes — but note that standard homeowners insurance excludes earthquake damage. In higher-hazard areas, earthquake coverage is a separate policy or endorsement and can be a meaningful cost, so the hazard level is worth knowing before you buy.
My area came back "out of model" — am I safe?
No — it means the point is outside the USGS model footprint, so there's no modeled value there, not that there's no risk. Enter a US address on land, or consult a local engineer.
Building an app? Use the API 🔌
The same USGS seismic-hazard lookup, as a clean JSON API for real-estate, insurance, construction, and proptech tools. Address or lat/lon in — hazard level, Seismic Design Category, and ground motions (Ss, S1, PGA) out.
GET /seismic-risk?lat=34.05&lon=-118.25
{
"result": {
"coverage": "mapped",
"hazardLevel": "very-high",
"seismicDesignCategory": "D",
"groundMotion": { "unit": "g", "ss": 1.97, "s1": 0.701, "pga": 0.844, "sds": 1.313 },
"modelVersion": "v4.0.x",
"meaning": "Very high seismic hazard — at or near a major active fault..."
}
}
Read the API docs →