Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
Using the Bradford Flood Zone Map
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Smethport.
Main page: McKean 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.
Weighing a property around Eldred? The Bradford flood zone map tells you whether it sits in a FEMA flood zone, and no account is needed. This Bradford guide covers: finding the address on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and pairing it with the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map.
The Bradford flood zone map: start here
The official source is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: type an address near Smethport, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Vacant ground around Kane is still easy to locate: zoom in from US Route 219 and click inside the land.
The viewer McKean County publishes
Property in and around Mount Jewett are published on the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map, a viewer that needs no account. Out toward Mount Jewett, put in a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. For property near Kane, the parcel card usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and sometimes recent sales.
Beyond the mapped zones
Low-lying fields near Eldred aren't always studied in detail, so ask neighbors about past flooding. Wetlands near Lewis Run can limit building even outside a flood zone; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Before you lean on the lines
The acreage figure is a tax-roll number; just a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners for a parcel near Mount Jewett. Owner names and values update on a schedule, so a recent sale near Kane may not show yet.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
McKean County touches Allegany County, NY, Cattaraugus County, NY, Cameron County, Elk County, and Forest County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Mount Jewett may be split across two assessors' files, so look at the neighboring map too. For land near Mount Jewett, the Platbookmapper state page links each neighboring county map across Pennsylvania.
Where the recorded documents are
The map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, subdivision plats and easements covering ground around Kane are filed with the Recorder of Deeds. In and around Port Allegany, have ready the book and page from the tax record to skip a name search.
Bradford and the county around it
Bradford sits in McKean County, Pennsylvania, which means parcel data comes from the county. In and around Mount Jewett, the municipality handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, while the county keeps the tax map. Acreage past the city limits toward Kane generally follows county rules, not municipal ones.
How land is described here
Tracts outside towns near Smethport are often described by metes and bounds, a series of courses and distances from a starting point. Subdivision lots in Smethport refer to a recorded plat, which is simpler to follow. Write down the legal description for the tract near Port Allegany before you request a deed or survey.
Reading A, AE and X
Closer to Port Allegany, any A or V zone are Special Flood Hazard Areas, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any year. Closer to Port Allegany, a shaded X area is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X is minimal risk.
What to request from a seller
Request about past flood claims for the house near Kane; an insurance quote early keeps the budget honest.
Matching the zone to the lot lines
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so check the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map too to see exactly which lot near Mount Jewett you're looking at.
Which office to call
For assessment questions about property around Smethport belong with the county assessment office, the office behind the parcel record. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Eldred need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Lenders and permits
For a structure inside an A or V zone and the loan is federally backed or regulated, mandatory purchase rules apply in communities in the NFIP, which applies near Kane as much as anywhere. Building or adding on near Smethport in a mapped zone can trigger elevation rules; check with the county or town building office before you plan.
Questions about the Bradford flood zone map
How often are flood maps updated around Kane?
It depends, but a new study can move a zone line near Port Allegany; your community is notified before changes take effect.
Can I see flood zones on the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map?
For most people, a flood layer may appear in the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map layer list, though it can lag behind FEMA's current panels.
When is flood insurance required in Bradford?
It depends, but lenders generally require it for buildings near Lewis Run in a Special Flood Hazard Area when the loan is federally regulated or insured; elsewhere it's optional.
What is a LOMA in Bradford?
Good question; you can ask FEMA for a LOMA if surveyed elevations show the building near Port Allegany is above the BFE; it starts with an elevation survey.
Does the parcel map work on a phone in Bradford?
For a home near Mount Jewett, most viewers run in a mobile browser; screenshots help offline.
Open the official McKean 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.