Barnesville, Alabama
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1906 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Dadeville census division. It lies in ZIP code area 36853. The Survey maps it on the Ponders quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 11 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.
- 1906 USGS Dadeville quadrangle1:125000, 3 printings
- 1955 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Ponders quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1981 USGS Opelika quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
83 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 83 fires within 5 miles of Barnesville between 1994 and 2020, burning about 626 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 22 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 33 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 22 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 2017 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20170918-1 |
| 15 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 13 September 1997 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190912-8 |
| 1 September 1997 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 August 2000 | Recreation and ceremony | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 August 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 11 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Barnesville: 6 past producers, 4 occurrences, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Gold, Mica. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Mine | Mica | Past Producer | ||
| Blue Hill and Gregory Hill Mines | Gold | Past Producer | Vein | |
| Dent Hill Prospect | Gold | Occurrence | Gold | |
| Devils Backbone District | Gold | Producer | 1835 | |
| Farrow Hill Devil's Backbone | Gold | Past Producer | Vein | |
| Farrow Hill Prospect | Gold | Occurrence | Gold | |
| Gregory Hill Lode and Placer | Gold | Past Producer | Vein | |
| Long Branch Prospect | Gold | Occurrence | 1842, 1852 | |
| Mass Prospect | Gold | Occurrence | Gold | |
| Owl Hollow Placer | Gold | Past Producer | 1842, 1852 |
Storms near this place
17 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Barnesville in 17 storm reports between 2005 and 2025: 8 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 4 hail, 1 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 10 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF4) | Barnesville | 1 killed, 10 hurt, $115,000,000 | A tornado touched down in central Elmore County, north of Wetumpka, and moved northeast through central Tallapoosa and western Chambers Counties, before it lifted west northwest of Lafayette. The tornado crossed into Tallapoosa County near Stoney Ridge Rd, south of CR 34, and intensified to EF4 strength with winds of 170 mph. Damage was widespread and severe with several well built multi-story homes destroyed with no walls remaining on floors above basement level. The tornado continued at this strength but became narrower to nearly 400 yards wide as it crossed AL Hwy 49 south of Dadeville where it destroyed 2 homes and rolled a pick-up truck 120 yards. The tornado continued northeast and weakened to EF3 strength with winds of 155 mph. It crossed U.S. Hwy 280 just east of Dadeville where it produced significant damage to several homes and businesses, and caused one fatality. The tornado crossed into Chambers County west of Lafayette, south of CR 48. |
| January 2007 | Tornado (F1) | Barnesville | $100,000 | The tornado touched down south of the Walnut Hill Community, near the intersection of Prospect Road and State Highway 49. The tornado damaged a few homes and destroyed a mobile home on Butterfly Lane. The tornado tracked northeastward and damaged another home on Sandy Drive before lifting. Overall, at least three homes sustained damage, one trailer was totally destroyed and about 40 trees were snapped off. Maximum winds were estimated at 85 to 90 mph. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | $10,000 | At least two homes were damaged by fallen trees, in the Stillwaters community along Lake Martin. |
| April 2009 | Hail | Barnesville | $5,000 | Hail up to baseball size fell near Martin Dam. The hail was up to 2 feet deep in spots, and was still on the ground the next morning. |
| January 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down in the Still Waters community, on the eastern shores of Lake Martin. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | $2,000 | Several trees were blown down in far southern Tallapoosa County, near Lake Martin. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Barnesville | $2,000 | A few roads were temporarily impassable due to high water near Arrowhead Road and County Road 2214. |
| February 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Barnesville | - | National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Tallapoosa County and determined that a brief EF-1 tornado occurred within a broad area of straight line wind damage. Additional information was provided by a private property owner as well as satellite analysis for areas that were not accessible by roads. The tornado touched down in a remote area over private property east of Lovelady Road and south of Alabama Highway 50. Approximately halfway between Lovelady Road and Barnesville Loop, an area of significant tree damage including multiple snapped and uprooted pines produced a TDS on KMXX radar. The tornado continued northeastward to Barnesville Loop, where another area of concentrated tree damage consisted of multiple|snapped and uprooted trees. At this point, the tornado interacted with a second circulation that was accelerating in from the northwest, and the path of the tornado turned right as the two circulations interacted. While there was minimal damage along the eastern portion of Barnesville Loop, the circulation re-intensified as it crossed Murphy Dam Road and Murphy Lake. A tree was blown on to a home on East Murphy Lane. From there, the continuing TDS intensified over an area inaccessible to the NWS|survey team, and satellite data is inconclusive with regards to tree damage any farther to the east. The tornado dissipated somewhere between East Murphy Lane and Alabama Highway 49 over private property. Maximum winds were estimated at 90 mph. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | - | Wind gust of 60 mph measured from weather station on Martin Dam. |
| March 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Barnesville | - | National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Tallapoosa County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum winds near 75 mph. This tornado started in Elmore County and crossed into Tallapoosa County near Long Beach Drive. The tornado tracked east-northeast for several miles before dissipating near Centerport Road. A few trees were uprooted along Long Branch Drive and Old Tree Road. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | - | Several trees uprooted near the intersection of County Road 50 and Cold Creek Road. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | - | Several trees uprooted and structural damage to a large boathouse at Still Waters Resort. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | - | Several trees uprooted near Martin Dam. |
| March 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barnesville | - | Several trees were snapped along Arrowhead Road, with one tree blocking the roadway and another tree knocking down powerlines. |
| March 2013 | Hail | Barnesville | - | no account filed |
| March 2013 | Hail | Barnesville | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Barnesville | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Hill | 1.6 miles | 11 | |
| Union | 1.7 miles | 11 | |
| Bama Park | 2.0 miles | 11 | |
| Ponders | 2.2 miles | 11 | |
| Blue Creek | 2.6 miles | 11 | |
| Still Waters | 2.8 miles | 11 | |
| Sardis | 3.1 miles | 11 | |
| Thornton | 3.6 miles | 10 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 156027. 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.





