BlockBlades, Delaware
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1915 and the latest in 1992. It stands in the Seaford census division. It lies in ZIP code area 19973. It lies near Morgan Island. The Survey maps it on the Seaford East quadrangle. 1,179 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 20 feet above sea level.
On record in Blades
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register within a mile 11 records
The National Register names another town for these. They stand within one mile of this settlement's coordinate.
Seaford Station Complexlisted 1978 · 0.3 miles away
Building at High and Cannon Streetslisted 1987 · 0.4 miles away
J. W. Cox Dry Goods Storelisted 1987 · 0.4 miles away
Building at 200-202A High Streetlisted 1987 · 0.4 miles away
Sussex National Bank of Seafordlisted 1987 · 0.4 miles away
Building at 218 High Streetlisted 1987 · 0.4 miles away
Burton Hardware Storelisted 1978 · 0.4 miles away
Jesse Robinson Houselisted 1982 · 0.4 miles away
First National Bank of Seafordlisted 1987 · 0.5 miles away
Edgar and Rachel Ross Houselisted 1997 · 0.5 miles away
St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Churchlisted 1977 · 0.6 miles away
Population over time
2 figuresBlades fell from 1,241 to 1,179 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,241 | |
| 2020 | 1,179 | -62 (-5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 19 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1915 USGS Seaford quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
- 1944 USGS Seaford quadrangle1:62500
- 1946 USGS Salisbury quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1947 USGS Salisbury quadrangle1:250000
- 1948 USGS Salisbury quadrangle1:250000
- 1955 USGS Seaford East quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Salisbury quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Salisbury quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Salisbury quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Seaford quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1992 USGS Seaford East quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
4 since 2004Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 4 fires within 5 miles of Blades between 2004 and 2020, burning about 114 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 July 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 100 acres | Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge | WOODLAND CHURCH RD. |
| 8 June 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | Delaware Forest Service | RUTH FIRE |
| 18 April 2016 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 7.0 acres | Delaware Forest Service | CONRAIL |
| 22 November 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Delaware Forest Service | HASTINGS |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Blades: 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Iron. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravelly Delight Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Pine Creek Forge Mine | Iron | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
36 since 2003Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Blades in 36 storm reports between 2003 and 2023: 15 thunderstorm wind, 12 heavy rain, 5 flash flood, 3 hail. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | $25,000 | A severe thunderstorm blew a roof off and knocked down poles, wires, and a large tree in Blades. |
| August 2012 | Lightning | Blades | $25,000 | A lightning strike and ensuing fire caused about $25,000 in damage to a home on Armiger Drive in the Hill-N-Dale Development south of Blades. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Tree limbs down onto power lines. Power outages reported. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Several reports of trees and power lines down in the Seaford area. A few other similar reports from western Sussex County (US Route 13 corridor), which was the hardest hit area from the storm. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Report of a tree and wires fallen onto a vehicle on North Broadford Street in Seaford. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Power lines down near Magnolia Drive and Cherry Blossom Lane in Seaford. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Report of trees and wires down on a vehicle on Dulaney Street in Seaford, DE. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Numerous downed wires in Blades and Seaford, DE. Time estimated from radar. |
| April 2021 | Hail | Blades | - | Time of report estimated from radar. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Wires were downed on Hall St, Alder Ln, and near the intersection of Neals School Rd and Boyce Rd in Seaford. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Tree limbs downed onto wires caused a power outage near Atlanta Rd. Time estimated from radar. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | A tree was downed into power lines. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Tree limbs and wires were downed near Craigs Mill Rd and Woodland Rd. Time estimated from radar. |
| June 2020 | Flash Flood | Blades | - | Porter Street in Seaford was closed due to flooding. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | A tree fell onto power lines in Blades. Time estimated from radar. |
| August 2019 | Hail | Blades | - | Quarter size hail was reported in Seaford. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | Power lines down at the intersection of Bradford Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Time estimated from radar. |
| June 2018 | Flash Flood | Blades | - | Widespread roadway flooding in and around Seaford. Several vehicles were stranded in the flood waters. |
| July 2017 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just over three and a half inches of rain fell in 12 hours. |
| July 2017 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Almost five inches of rain fell at this DEOS site. |
| July 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Five and a half inches of rain was measured from thunderstorms. |
| July 2016 | Flash Flood | Blades | - | Heavy rainfall led to Flash Flooding on several roadways which stranded several cars on the roads. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just over 2 inches of rain fell. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just under four inches of rain fell. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just under 4 inches of rain fell. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Three and a half inches of rain fell in 24 hours. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Three and a half inches of rain fell in 24 hours. |
| July 2016 | Flash Flood | Blades | - | Route 20 closed between Woodpecker road and Route 30 due to Flash Flooding. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Three and a third inches of rain fell in 24 hours. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just over 4 inches of rain fell. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just over 4 inches of rain fell. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Blades | - | Just over three inches of rain fell. |
| February 2012 | Hail | Blades | - | A severe thunderstorm dropped quarter size hail in Blades. |
| September 2011 | Flash Flood | Blades | - | Thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused flash flooding of roadways and fields in and mainly to the west of Seaford in western Sussex County. Sections of Stein Highway (Delaware State Route 20) and Figgs Road were among about a dozen roads that were closed by flash flooding. Many roadways within Seaford itself had high water on them. Delaware State Route 20 and Ellis Mill Road suffered washouts. The Seaford School District was closed the following day, September 9th. Doppler Radar storm total estimates for the entire event in the flash flood area exceeded 10 inches. Other event precipitation totals in Sussex County included 4.60 inches in Milford and 2.76 inches in Georgetown. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | A severe thunderstorm knocked down a tree and several large tree limbs in the Middleport area of Seaford. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blades | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaford | 0.4 miles | 19 | |
| Hurley Heights | 0.9 miles | 19 | |
| Seaford Heights | 1.0 miles | 19 | |
| Hill N Dale | 1.0 miles | 20 | |
| Victor E Hurley Estates | 1.0 miles | 19 | |
| Nanticoke Estates | 1.0 miles | 20 | |
| The Island | 1.1 miles | 19 | |
| Cherrytree Landing | 1.1 miles | 19 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Blades | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q284303 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 213680. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.