FEMA puts Blakely’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 81% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Blakely gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns, #975 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Blakely faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Blakely’s grade
River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Blakely, and Blakely’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #975 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Blakely’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, Blakely has more expected damage per building than 94% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across Blakely: $2.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Blakely flood? Sometimes: 11 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Blakely, from FEMA’s records: 3.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 50% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Gloria3 claims · $7K
- Tropical Storm Ivan1 claim · $10K
Blakely isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lackawanna County.The storms Blakely remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for Lackawanna County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Blakely itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19853 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Gloria, declared for Lackawanna County
- 20063 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Lackawanna County
- 19792 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Lackawanna County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Blakely after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Blakely archive →Blakely and its neighbors
Blakely is 6th of the 6 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Township | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Archbald | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 32 |
| Dickson City | C+more damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Jessup | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 16 |
| Olyphant | C−more damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 68 |
| Blakely | C−more damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Blakely faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Blakely
Is Blakely at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Blakely has higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #975 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Blakely flood?
Flood insurance has paid 11 claims in Blakely since 1979, $52K in all, or 3.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 50% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Gloria (3).
Is Blakely in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Lackawanna County, 29% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Blakely?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Blakely’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Blakely?
By flood claims, Hurricane Gloria: 3 paid, $7K.
Is Blakely at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Blakely’s rate for it is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Blakely.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Blakely’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.