Know Which Building to Check FirstMinutes After an Earthquake
ShakeResponse helps homeowners, landlords, businesses and organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from earthquakes. It puts the science engineers use within everyone's reach: when USGS reports an earthquake, we predict the shaking at each of your registered properties, estimate likely damage with FEMA's HAZUS fragility curve for the building's type (building types without a curve are compared with your alert threshold instead), and alert you when any property reaches Yellow or worse, with your properties ranked so you know which to inspect first. Estimates are colour-coded estimates — Green, Yellow, Orange or Red. Estimates are models, not measurements: always confirm conditions on the ground before you act. During the beta, estimates are preliminary and calibrated for California.
From Fault Rupture to a Damage Estimate in Three Steps
No seismometer hardware required. ShakeResponse works entirely from USGS public data feeds and your building's structural classification — whether you own a single home or manage a portfolio.
Register Your Property
Add each building with GPS coordinates and its HAZUS structural type code (W1, C1M, S2L …). Enterprise users can bulk-import via XML spreadsheet.
USGS Feed Monitoring
ShakeResponse checks the USGS GeoJSON earthquake feed every 60 seconds (USGS typically publishes an event a few minutes after it happens). When a qualifying event is detected, the Atkinson & Wald (2007) intensity-prediction equation (California coefficients) predicts shaking intensity (MMI) and PGA at each registered site from the reported magnitude and location. If USGS publishes a ShakeMap for the quake within 24 hours (not every quake gets one), we re-score each site from the ShakeMap's MMI and PGA at the nearest grid point. A ShakeMap blends seismic-station recordings, felt reports and models.
Damage Estimate & Check-First List
HAZUS fragility curves turn the estimated shaking and your building type into an estimated damage state (building types without a curve are compared with your alert threshold), and your properties are ranked so you know where to look first. When a property reaches Yellow or worse, a browser push notification goes out as soon as the estimate is ready — no app install needed. If every property stays Green, no alert is sent; the dashboard still shows the estimate. If USGS revises the earthquake or publishes a new ShakeMap within 24 hours and an estimate changes, we tell you. Some revisions may not produce an update, for example if the epicenter moves more than 300 km from a property or a re-check fails.
Everything a Property Owner Needs — Nothing They Don't
HAZUS Fragility Engine
Every plan scores each building with FEMA HAZUS's default fragility curve for its structural type (W1, C2L, URML…). Homes entered by use are assumed to be typical construction (single-family and duplex: wood frame; mobile home: MH), and the dashboard says so. If the predicted shaking reaches the threshold you set, you're alerted at least Yellow. Pro users can upload their own engineer's curve. Other occupancy-only codes have no default curve and use your threshold alone.
Live USGS Integration
Polls the official USGS GeoJSON earthquake feed directly. No third-party data brokers. Qualifying events are picked up within about a minute of USGS publishing them.
Browser-Native Push Alerts
W3C Web Push with VAPID authentication. Alerts go to your desktop or mobile browser even when the tab is closed — no app to install. Delivery depends on your device, browser and network, so don't make it your only source of information.
Interactive Damage Grid Map
Leaflet map with OpenStreetMap tiles shows all registered facilities as colour-coded pins. Click any pin for HAZUS code, alert threshold (MMI), and estimated damage state.
Alert History & CSV Export
Full timeline of every seismic event, damage state, and estimated shaking per facility. Export to CSV for your records and post-event review.
Bulk XML Facility Import
Import entire portfolios via XML Spreadsheet 2003 drag-and-drop. Ideal for anyone managing hundreds of buildings across multiple regions.
Four Estimated Damage States. Plain Language.
ShakeResponse follows FEMA's HAZUS damage state classification — the standard methodology for estimating earthquake losses in the United States — translated into plain language. Each state is a model estimate: confirm the real situation before acting on it.
The model estimates little or no damage. That is not a safety certification: do a visual check when it's safe to.
The model estimates minor, mostly non-structural damage such as cracked finishes. Inspect when safe, and consider a professional look within a few days. Also shown when the estimated shaking reached the alert threshold you set.
The model estimates moderate damage, possibly including structural cracking. Get a professional inspection before relying on the building.
The model estimates extensive or complete damage. Treat the building as potentially unsafe: stay out until a qualified professional or local officials confirm conditions, and call 911 if anyone may be hurt.
This Is a Model, Not a Measurement
Damage states shown in ShakeResponse are statistical estimates produced by the FEMA HAZUS fragility methodology applied to estimated shaking (for building types without a curve, by comparing that shaking with your alert threshold). The first estimate is predicted from the magnitude and location USGS reports; if USGS publishes a ShakeMap within 24 hours, we re-score from it. For a large quake on a long fault, the first estimate measures distance from the epicenter, so it can understate shaking far along the fault until USGS publishes a ShakeMap, if it does. A ShakeMap blends seismic-station recordings with models, so between stations it is an estimate too — neither is shaking measured at your site. The prediction model is calibrated for California, and beta estimates are preliminary. They are a prioritization tool, not a certification of a building's actual condition.
Actual, on-the-ground conditions at any specific property may differ materially from the modeled estimate due to factors the model does not and cannot fully capture — including site-specific soil conditions, local liquefaction or landslide risk, deferred maintenance, prior undocumented damage, non-standard construction, and the inherent uncertainty of earthquake ground-motion and fragility models generally. Earthquakes are forces of nature, and no one can guarantee how the ground will shake at a given site or how a specific building will respond. ShakeResponse, its model outputs, and any associated alert make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the actual structural condition of any building, and do not guarantee that ground-truth conditions will match, or fall within, the estimated damage state. Estimates are provided "as is" to help you prioritize which properties to inspect first — they are not a substitute for an inspection by a licensed structural engineer or building official, and are for information only. Always confirm the situation on the ground before taking any action, and never take or skip an action solely because of a ShakeResponse alert. See our full Model Disclaimer and Privacy Policy for details.
Questions People Ask Us
How is this different from USGS ShakeCast?
USGS ShakeCast is free software that agencies and large operators install on their own servers. It scores facilities from the USGS ShakeMap from the start and lets engineers tune each facility, so it is more precise than we are. ShakeResponse sends its first estimate from the magnitude and location USGS reports, re-scores from the ShakeMap if USGS publishes one within 24 hours, and applies the same FEMA HAZUS damage framework, with no server, administrator or engineer needed. If you have engineering staff, ShakeCast is the better tool. If you don't, we put the same framework within reach at lower precision.
Why pay when MyShake, USGS notifications and ShakeCast are free?
MyShake and Wireless Emergency Alerts warn you seconds before shaking arrives. Keep them; we don't replace them. USGS notifications tell you a quake happened, not what it meant for your building. ShakeCast needs your own server and an engineer. The Free plan covers one property. Pro adds up to ten properties, email alerts, alert history, CSV export and your engineer's own fragility curves.
Which earthquakes do you evaluate?
Earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 or greater that USGS reports within 300 km (about 186 miles) of a registered property. For a large quake, shaking can reach farther: if USGS publishes a ShakeMap within 24 hours, we also score properties up to 600 km (about 373 miles) away that the ShakeMap covers. Smaller or more distant earthquakes are not evaluated.
What if USGS revises the earthquake?
USGS often revises a quake's magnitude or location after the first report, and for many quakes it publishes a ShakeMap (shaking estimated from seismic-station recordings and models), sometimes in several versions. For 24 hours we re-check, and if a revision or a new ShakeMap version changes the estimate for one of your properties we send an update, whether it went up or down. Later revisions and ShakeMap versions are not reflected. Some revisions may not produce an update, for example if the epicenter moves more than 300 km from a property or a re-check fails.
What does it mean if I get no alert?
Either every property's estimate stayed Green, or the earthquake was outside the range above. Green is a model estimate, not a safety certification. Check your dashboard, and inspect any building you felt shake when it's safe to.
Are you part of USGS or FEMA?
No. ShakeResponse is an independent service of ShakeResponse LLC. We use public USGS earthquake data and FEMA HAZUS methods, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency.
Be Ready Before the Next Earthquake
ShakeResponse checks the USGS feed every minute and estimates damage for every registered building, so you know where to start when it matters. Add your first property in under two minutes — free, no matter who you are.