Photo: Pubdog · Public domainMore hazard damage per building is expected in Jay Township than in 92% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jay Township gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (97%). Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1989.
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 Jay Township 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 Jay Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 97% of the building damage FEMA expects in Jay Township, and Jay Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Jay Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Jay Township: $2.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Jay Township flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Jay Township, from FEMA’s records: 14.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 80% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan2 claims · $105K
- Hurricane Debby1 claim · $22K
Jay Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Elk County.The storms Jay Township remembers
None of the 7 disasters declared for Elk County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Jay Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20145 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19962 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Elk County
- 20042 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Elk County
Elk County has had 7 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Jay Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Jay Township archive →Jay Township and its neighbors
Jay Township is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | 24 |
| Fox Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Jay Township | Dmore damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 16 |
| Benezette Township | — | 127 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Jay Township 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 Jay Township
Is Jay Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jay Township has higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (97%). 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 Jay Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Jay Township since 1989, $396K in all, or 14.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 80% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (2).
Is Jay Township 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 Elk County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Jay Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Jay Township’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 Jay Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 2 paid, $105K.
Is Jay Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (97%), and Jay Township’s rate for it is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Jay Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Jay Township’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.