Brownville, Alabama
24 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1984. It stands in the Birmingham census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35221. The Survey maps it on the Bessemer quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
12 surveys from 24 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.
- 1890 USGS Bessemer quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Bessemer quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1905 USGS Bessemer Iron District quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1905 USGS Bessemer Special quadrangle1:48000
- 1907 USGS Bessemer Iron District quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1907 USGS Bessemer Special quadrangle1:62500
- 1953 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1956 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Bessemer quadrangle1:24000, 5 printings
- 1975 USGS Bessemer quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Birmingham South quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
96 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 96 fires within 5 miles of Brownville between 1993 and 2018, burning about 645 acres in total. None started naturally. 46 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 | 46 |
| Debris and open burning | 30 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 1025 MANOR CIRCLE, AL |
| 21 September 2005 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 2000 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 1996 | Railroad operations and maintenance | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 15 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 43 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 43 workings within 5 miles of Brownville: 30 past producers, 6 unknowns, 3 occurrences, 2 plants. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Iron, Clay, Stone. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Portland Cement Company Plant | Stone | Plant | ||
| Shannon Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Birmingham Red Ore Dist. | Iron | Producer | ||
| Birmingham Red Ore Mines District | Iron | Past Producer | 1864, 1972 | |
| Ironaton | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Ironaton | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Ishkooda Mines | Iron | Past Producer | 1863, 1969 | |
| Pyne Mine | Iron | Past Producer | Hematite | |
| Pyne Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Sloss Mines | Iron | Past Producer | Hematite |
Storms near this place
5 since 2011Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Brownville in 5 storm reports between 2011 and 2022: 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 hail, 1 tornado. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Flash Flood | Brownville | 1 killed, 1 hurt | A cluster of slow moving thunderstorms developed over the Birmingham metro area and produced flash flooding. Numerous roads were impassible and vehicles were flooded in the downtown area and near the University of Alabama-Birmingham campus. Flash flooding was also reported in the city of Homewood along Shades Creek and Oxmoor Road. One injury and one fatality due to flooding. Radar estimated rainfall amounts were in the 2-4 inch range. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brownville | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down in the neighborhood surrounding Avenue I in Bessemer. Minor roof and significant fencing damage was caused by fallen trees. |
| December 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Brownville | - | National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Jefferson County and determined that it was consistent with an EF0 tornado, with maximum winds near 80 mph. The tornado first touched down on Dusty Lane, causing damage mainly to weakened or shallow rooted trees. The tornado crossed Morgan Road and continued east across an inaccessible forested area, crossing Shades Creek and then passing just behind The Oaks on Parkwood Blvd. Scores of trees were either uprooted or snapped in the area, and minor structural damage was noted at The Oaks. The tornado continued eastward and reached its peak intensity as it crossed Parkwood Road just west of Alabama Highway 150, with a dozen or so very large hardwoods uprooted, causing damage to homes and vehicles. The tornado was also estimated to be at its maximum width of about 350 yards in this area as it crossed Alabama Highway 150. The tornado narrowed and weakened as it crossed another area of forested land, before snapping an older tree along Ross Bridge Parkway just west of Deer Valley Elementary School. The tornado skirted the north end of the school before ascending Shades Crest Mountain, then rapidly dissipated as it crossed Shades Crest Road. |
| September 2011 | Heavy Rain | Brownville | - | At least three inches of water was reported across all lanes of Morgan Road near Alabama Highway 150. This was a result of heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Brownville | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crescent Heights | 0.3 miles | 24 | |
| Winetka | 0.3 miles | 24 | |
| Hillman | 0.4 miles | 24 | |
| Roosevelt-Cairo Village | 0.5 miles | 24 | |
| Grasselli | 0.6 miles | 24 | |
| Hillman Park | 0.7 miles | 24 | |
| Hillman Gardens | 0.7 miles | 24 | |
| Wenonah | 0.8 miles | 24 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 115027. 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.











