BlockBefore

Jay, Oklahoma

19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Jay census division. It lies in ZIP code area 74346. The Survey maps it on the Jay quadrangle. 2,425 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,043 feet above sea level.

Jay within Delaware County

On record in Jay

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 2 records

Population over time

2 figures

Jay fell from 2,448 to 2,425 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.

YearPeople Change
20102,448
20202,425-23 (-1%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 19 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

610 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 610 fires within 5 miles of Jay between 1992 and 2020, burning about 12,085 acres in total. 16 started naturally. 244 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/incendiarism244
Missing data/not specified/undetermined176
Debris and open burning100
Equipment and vehicle use33
Natural16
Recreation and ceremony15
Smoking11
Railroad operations and maintenance9
Misuse of fire by a minor5
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2004Debris and open burningunder an acreOklahoma Division of Forestry30519
9 September 2001Natural1.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
8 September 1998Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
7 September 2001Arson/incendiarism20 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
5 September 2016Equipment and vehicle use10 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
3 September 1999Debris and open burningunder an acreOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
29 September 1994Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
23 September 2007Debris and open burning4.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestry30497

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Delaware County

Storms near this place

60 of 100 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Jay in 100 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 57 hail, 31 thunderstorm wind, 9 flash flood, 3 tornado. The reports record 1 death. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
February 2008Flash FloodJay1 killedRunoff from locally heavy rainfall resulted in the flooding of several low water crossings to the east and north of Jay. A man was drowned when he tried to drive through flood waters flowing through one of these low water crossings.
May 2019Tornado (EF2)Jay$500,000This is the first segment of a two-segment tornado. The tornado developed on the west side of Jay and moved northeast severely damaging two homes and snapping numerous trees and power poles near Highway 59. The tornado continued northeast, destroying two mobile homes and snapping trees and power poles near the intersection of the E 380 Road and S 630 Road. It then moved northeast across heavily wooded terrain, crossed the E 340 Road, and then the E 290 Road. Trees were uprooted, large tree limbs were snapped, power poles were blown down, and outbuildings were damaged by the tornado throughout this wide and lengthy portion of the path. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 110 to 120 mph. It was observed by multiple people and produced a radar-detected debris signature. The tornado continued into McDonald County, Missouri.
April 2025Tornado (EF1)Jay$100,000This tornado developed along the E 380 Road, west of Highway 59, where trees were uprooted and large tree limbs were snapped. The tornado moved east-southeast. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped, several homes were damaged, and several outbuildings were destroyed when it moved across Highway 59, through the S 640 Road. The tornado turned to the southeast after moving through Yellow Bird Hollow, and uprooted trees and snapped large tree limbs along the E 390 Road and S 670 Road. It dissipated east of the S 680 Road. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 95 to 100 mph.
July 2015Flash FloodJay$75,000A business and several homes were flooded in Jay. Portions of Highway 59 were flooded and closed.
March 2024HailJay$30,000Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles, homes, and businesses.
May 2020HailJay$30,000Tennis ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes.
May 2020HailJay$25,000Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes.
March 2006HailJay$25,000no account filed
July 2004Thunderstorm WindJay$20,000Thunderstorm winds estimated in excess of 70 miles an hour downed numerous trees and damaged a few buildings. Some of the trees blocked roads.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindJay$15,000Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs and damaged roofs.
March 2024HailJay$15,000Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes.
April 2019Thunderstorm WindJay$10,000Strong thunderstorm wind damaged the roofs of homes and snapped large tree limbs.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindJay$10,000Strong thunderstorm wind damaged a baseball field and buildings in town.
February 2001Thunderstorm WindJay$10,000Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a mobile home.
March 2020HailJay$10,000no account filed
September 2012Thunderstorm WindJay$5,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew down numerous large tree limbs onto power lines.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindJay$5,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour damaged a carport and a roof of a home. The wind also blew down numerous large tree limbs.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindJay$1,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a tree and some power lines.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindJay$100Thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindJay$100Thunderstorm winds blew tree down onto State Highway 28.
March 1997Thunderstorm WindJay$100no account filed
July 2024Tornado (EFU)Jay-A brief tornado was witnessed over open country. No known damage occurred with the tornado, thus the EF-unknown rating.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindJay-Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindJay-Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph.
August 2013Flash FloodJay-Numerous county roads and low water crossings were under water.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees.
September 2009Flash FloodJay-Heavy rain caused the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 28 to be closed due to high water.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down a large tree limb. The tree limb block a highway.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees near Lake Eucha.
June 2005Flash FloodJay-Spavinaw Creek flooded adjacent roads.
May 2005Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.
May 2004Flash FloodJay-Heavy thunderstorm rains caused two feet of water to flow over Highway 59.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 milesn an hour blew a few trees down.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindJay-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees.
June 2000Flash FloodJay-Heavy rains from thunderstorms caused water to flow over Highway 59 north of Jay.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindJay-Severe thunderstorms moved across northeast Oklahoma during the evening of June 29th and produced damaging winds. Strong thunderstorm winds downed 9 large trees at Bears Den Resort 5 miles northwest of Grove, and 2 cars were damaged by a fallen tree at the resort. In addition, 3 boats were damaged and 2 boats were unmoored from the dock at the resort. Power lines were blown down in Chelsea, and trees were blown down in Cleveland, 1 mile south of Bristow, and in Wagoner. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by 70 mile an hour winds in Shidler, and large tree limbs were blown down near Sapulpa, in Westport, at Tulsa Country Club 3 miles northwest of Tulsa, 9 miles north of Vinita, and in Chouteau. Trees and tree limbs were blown down by 73 mile an hour winds 6 miles northwest of Jay and by 60 mile an hour winds in Sand Springs. Thunderstorm winds gusted up to 80 miles an hour at Hulah Dam 4 miles northeast of Bowring, to 60 to 70 miles an hour in Lenapah, and to 60 to 65 miles an hour at several other locations in northeast Oklahoma.
March 1997HailJay-A severe thunderstorm moved across Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers, Mayes, and Delaware Counties of northeast Oklahoma during the evening of March 27th. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 65 miles an hour at the intersection of Interstate 44 and 129th East Avenue in the city of Tulsa and to 60 miles an hour in Bristow, but large hail was the main feature with this storm. Hail ranging from dime size to 3.75 inches in diameter fell across the city of Tulsa, and hail up to golfball size fell at Kellyville, 2 miles southwest of Catoosa, and at Catoosa. Golfball size hail also fell 3 miles west of Jenks, 2 miles northwest of Jenks, 2 miles west of Jenks, 6 miles west of Inola, and 7 miles east southeast of Catoosa. Hail up to half dollar size covered the ground in Pryor, and half dollar size hail also fell 9 miles west of Jay. Nickel to quarter size hail fell at several other locations in northeast Oklahoma.
November 1995HailJay-,,,,,,,,Hail (1.00)
November 1995Thunderstorm WindJay-,,,,,,,,Hail (1.00)
May 2024HailJay-no account filed
October 2022HailJay-no account filed
May 2021HailJay-no account filed
January 2008HailJay-no account filed
March 2008HailJay-no account filed
June 2008HailJay-no account filed
April 2005HailJay-no account filed
May 2004HailJay-no account filed
July 2004HailJay-no account filed
May 2003HailJay-no account filed
April 2002HailJay-no account filed
February 2000HailJay-no account filed
May 2000HailJay-no account filed
May 2000HailJay-no account filed
March 1999HailJay-no account filed
July 1999HailJay-no account filed
December 1999HailJay-no account filed
August 1998Thunderstorm WindJay-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Delaware County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Brush Creek0.7 miles19
Sycamore4.6 miles18
Oak Hill-Piney4.7 miles18
Eucha5.0 miles19
Zena6.0 miles19
Tagg Flats8.9 miles19
Chloeta9.2 miles19
Dennis9.4 miles14

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 JayAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q733055The 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 1094183. 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.

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.