Capshaw, Alabama
21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1984. It stands in the Athens census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35749. It stands on Copperrun Branch. The Survey maps it on the Capshaw quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 21 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.
- 1888 USGS Huntsville quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Huntsville quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1936 USGS Capshaw quadrangle1:24000
- 1956 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Capshaw quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Huntsville quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
68 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 68 fires within 5 miles of Capshaw between 1994 and 2019, burning about 209 acres in total. None started naturally. 5 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 | 32 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 5 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Fireworks | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 1995 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 26 September 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 20 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 19 September 2000 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 2006 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 2000 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 2000 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Capshaw: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan Materials Co. Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
35 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Capshaw in 35 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 14 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 4 flash flood, 2 heavy rain. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $8,000 | Damage to a few roofs was reported along Nick Davis road. Reports of missing singles and roof panels were received. |
| December 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $6,000 | Power poles were reported downed on Sanderson Road in the vicinity of Creekside Elementary School. People were trapped in cars from downed powerlines from the power poles. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $5,000 | A few trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of Capshaw road and East Limestone road, just west of Capshaw, Alabama. |
| November 1997 | Hail | Capshaw | $3,000 | Hail covered the ground just west of Capshaw. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees and limbs in eastern Limestone County. The winds caused minor damage to siding of a home and blew around patio furniture and other loose objects in the area. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $2,000 | A tree was blown down on Highway 72 and East Limestone Road. |
| April 1997 | Hail | Capshaw | $2,000 | Three-quarter inch hail was reported south of Capshaw, in the extreme eastern part of the county by spotters. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $1,000 | A tree and power lines were knocked down at this location. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $1,000 | Shingles were knocked off a roof near the intersection near East Limestone and Nick Davis Roads. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $1,000 | A tree was knocked onto a home on Cricket Lane. |
| July 2011 | Lightning | Capshaw | $1,000 | Lightning hit a waterline in eastern Limestone county, cutting service to residents temporarily. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $500 | Power outages were reported on U.S. Highway 72 at County Line Road. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | $500 | Small tree limbs were blown down on Capshaw road. |
| August 2010 | Lightning | Capshaw | $500 | A home was struck by lightning near the intersection of E Limestone road and Capshaw road on Lancelot Circle. |
| July 2023 | Flash Flood | Capshaw | - | Running water over roadway in Rock Creek Subdivision. Report relayed via social media. Depth of water 6-8 or more. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Hail of up to 1.5 inches in diameter was reported near East Limestone Road and Capshaw Road. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Capshaw | - | A report of quarter sized hail near Old Railroad Bed Road and Capshaw Road. |
| August 2022 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Nickel size hail fell at Juanita Drive. |
| August 2022 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Half dollar sized hail was reported at this location. |
| April 2021 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Hail up to 2.0 inches in diameter were reported in the Creekwood subdivision off Slaughter and Farrow Roads. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | - | Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees, power lines, a power pole and a transformer on Keeton Road and Pepper Road. |
| December 2015 | Flash Flood | Capshaw | - | Six to eight inches of water rising inside the East Limestone Fire and Rescue Station. |
| December 2015 | Flash Flood | Capshaw | - | Flooding in the Rock Creek subdivision off Old Railroad Bend Rd., led to rescue attempts by local responders. Multiple house saw floodwaters enter the first floor of their homes. Source: WHNT. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Capshaw | - | Capshaw Road was closed at Sanderson Road and between Wall Triana and Nance Roads. Several other roads in east Limestone county were also reported closed due to heavy rain and flash flooding. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Quarter size hail was reported. |
| July 2013 | Heavy Rain | Capshaw | - | Since midnight LST, the public reported a storm total rainfall of 8.21 inches approximately 3 miles northwest of Capshaw. This report was relayed via social media. |
| February 2012 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Nickel sized hail was reported at the intersection of East Limestone Road and U.S. Highway 72. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Quarter size hail was reported at Casey Place and Shelby Street. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | Capshaw | - | This tornado touched down just west of Old Railroad Bed Road producing some roof and shingle damage, before moving into Madison county. |
| July 2010 | Heavy Rain | Capshaw | - | Heavy rainfall of 3.25 inches was measured 3 miles northwest of Capshaw. Most of the rain fell in a 35 minute period during a severe thunderstorm. |
| April 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | - | An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported. |
| February 2008 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Golf ball hail fell from a severe thunderstorm in the East Limestone community. |
| February 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | - | A couple of trees down on a house in Belmont Estates. |
| February 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Capshaw | - | Several trees and power lines down just west of Limestone Prison. |
| May 1998 | Hail | Capshaw | - | Dime size hail was reported north of US 72 along the Limestone/Madison county line. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Acres | 1.3 miles | 21 | |
| East Limestone | 2.2 miles | 21 | |
| Fairview | 3.0 miles | 21 | |
| Burgreen Gin | 3.1 miles | 25 | |
| Oakland | 3.1 miles | 25 | |
| Parker | 4.2 miles | 25 | |
| French Mill | 4.5 miles | 22 | |
| Copeland | 4.7 miles | 21 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 115608. 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.








