Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
Using the Blakely Flood Zone Map
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Olyphant takes a few minutes.
Main page: Lackawanna County, PA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
Platbookmapper is an Amazon Associate. If you buy through an Amazon link on this page, we earn a commission. The link is a product, not the county map.
Before an offer near Olyphant, look at the Blakely flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, permits and resale. This Blakely guide covers: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and matching it with the county parcel viewer.
Where the Blakely flood zone map lives
Flood zones come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: type an address near Archbald, then open the map view for that panel. A tract near Jessup without an address can still be found: search the nearest road then click the parcel area.
Getting to the right map
The official parcel map for this area is the Lackawanna County GISViewer Parcels, and no login is needed to use it. Closer to Olyphant, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. Closer to Jermyn, write down the parcel ID while you have it open; every clerk in the county asks for it first.
Blakely, PA: the basics
Blakely is part of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, which means parcel data comes from the county. With a lot near Throop, City or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, while the county keeps the tax map. Lots just outside the city limits near Jessup generally answers to county rules rather than the town's.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, subdivision plats and easements covering ground around Jessup are filed with the Recorder of Deeds. Inherited tracts around Jermyn can trace back through a long string of deeds, and a title company can sort it out if money is changing hands.
Zones on the Blakely flood zone map
If you're looking near Throop, zones beginning with A or V mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, meaning a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year. For land near Jessup, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floods; unshaded X is minimal risk.
Sections, lots and bearings
Rural deeds near Throop are often described by metes and bounds, which trace the boundary call by call. Town lots near Jessup usually use lot and block from a recorded plat instead, which is simpler to follow. Write down the legal description for the tract near Olyphant when you talk to a surveyor.
Lackawanna County in a few facts
Scranton is the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. Smaller places on the map include Dickson City, Olyphant, Archbald, and Throop, where town lots give way to larger tracts. About 216,123 people call Lackawanna County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over about 459 square miles. Lackawanna County was formed in 1878, and some chains of title near Archbald are long. Features like Lake Scranton and Lackawanna State Park help you orient on the aerial around Throop.
What to request from a seller
Ask the seller about past flood claims for the house near Olyphant; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
Which office to call
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Throop looks off belong with the county assessment office, the office behind the parcel record. Building or septic questions for a lot near Jessup need the planning or permitting office, town or county, depending on location.
Land on the county line
Lackawanna County meets Luzerne County, Monroe County, Susquehanna County, Wayne County, and Wyoming County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Throop can be split in two county records, so look at the neighboring map too. For a home near Dickson City, our state page lists each bordering county map for Pennsylvania.
Beyond the mapped zones
Low-lying fields near Throop aren't always studied in detail, so walk the land after rain. Marshy spots near Jessup can limit building too; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Lining it up with the parcel map
FEMA's map shows zones but not ownership, so check the Lackawanna County GISViewer Parcels too to confirm you have the right parcel near Dickson City.
Insurance, lenders and building
For a structure inside an A or V zone and the loan is federally backed or regulated, the lender will require flood insurance where the community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which applies near Archbald as much as anywhere. Building or adding on near Dickson City in a mapped zone usually means extra permit review; ask the local floodplain administrator before you plan.
Frequently asked
What is a base flood elevation near Jessup?
Short answer: the BFE is printed in AE zones on FEMA's map; surveyors near Jermyn use it often.
Is Zone X safe from flooding for land near Dickson City?
Short answer: Zone X near Throop means moderate (shaded) or minimal (unshaded) mapped risk; many owners near Olyphant buy coverage anyway.
How often are flood maps updated around Olyphant?
Generally, a new study can move a zone line near Jermyn; check the effective date on the panel.
Does the county parcel map show flood zones in Blakely?
Good question; the parcel map near Olyphant might show FEMA zones, but FEMA's own map is the official source.
Does the parcel map work on a phone near Jessup?
For a home near Olyphant, most viewers run in a mobile browser; screenshots help offline.
Open the official Lackawanna County, PA parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.