BlockElba, Alabama
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Elba census division. It lies in ZIP code area 36323. It stands on Whitewater Creek. The Survey maps it on the Elba quadrangle. 3,508 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 194 feet above sea level.
On record in Elba
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
Coffee County Courthouselisted 1973- Pea River Power Company Hydroelectric Facilitylisted 1984
Population over time
2 figuresElba fell from 3,940 to 3,508 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 | 3,940 | |
| 2020 | 3,508 | -432 (-11%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 8 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.
- 1953 USGS Andalusia quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Andalusia quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Elba quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Andalusia quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
47 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 47 fires within 5 miles of Elba between 1994 and 2020, burning about 349 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 10 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 | 17 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 10 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 7 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Smoking | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2008 | Debris and open burning | 8.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | CR 84, AL |
| 23 September 2019 | Arson/incendiarism | 8.5 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190923-6 |
| 20 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 19 September 2019 | Arson/incendiarism | 9.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190919-28 |
| 11 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 2.5 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190911-11 |
| 5 August 1996 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 August 2015 | Debris and open burning | 2.7 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | SER-20150804-001 |
| 30 August 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 6.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
8 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Elba: 5 unknowns, 1 producer, 1 occurrence, 1 past producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Iron, Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southland Number 1 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | Quartz | |
| SE Alabama Iron District | Iron | Past Producer | 1929 | |
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed Deposit | Iron | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
49 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Elba in 49 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 31 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 4 funnel cloud, 3 flash flood. The reports record 5 deaths and 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1998 | Flash Flood | Elba | 4 killed, $105,000,000 | A vigorous Gulf storm dumped up to 14 inches of rain across the northern half of Coffee County. The earthen levee on the Beaver Dam Creek breached. A six foot wall of water rushed into the city of Elba. Two thousand residents were forced to evacuate. Nearly 400 homes and businesses sustained flood damage. Approximately 52 county roads were washed out or flooded. The Pea River at Elba crested near 39.3 feet on March 9. Four people were killed when their vehicles were swept away by floodwaters. Coffee County was declared a federal disaster area. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | 1 killed, $10,000 | Numerous trees and power lines down. An elderly woman was killed when a tree fell on her vehicle at the intersection of County Roads 349 and 306. Reported by the Coffee County EMA. |
| November 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Elba | 2 hurt, $350,000 | A tornado touched down just northeast of Elba. Most of the damage occurred along County Roads 235 and 279 and State Highway 125. Several mobile homes and sheds were destroyed. Two persons were injured when their doublewide mobile home was tossed into trees. Among the structures damaged were a collection tank and four roll-off containers at a county landfill, a home which lost its front porch and roof, and several trailers. There were numerous trees and utility poles uprooted. |
| January 2012 | Lightning | Elba | 1 hurt | The Enterprise Ledger reported that a teenager was struck by lightning and injured while at a car wash during the afternoon hours. He was taken to Elba General Hospital and then later transferred to Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan where he was discharged two days later. |
| September 1998 | Flash Flood | Elba | $2,500,000 | Torrential rains of 8 to 24 inches produced the worst flash flooding in Geneva County since Hurricane Opal in 1995. Numerous roads were damaged or washed out. AL 54 was closed from Samson west to Florala. All county roads were closed for fear of more flooding and washouts. Significaant losses were incurred to peanut and cotton crops. Several creeks overflowed their banks closing AL 65, 54, and 52. |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $55,000 | A pavillion was destroyed at a music park. ALABAMA, Southwest |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $50,000 | Several trees were blown down just south of Elba. A few large trees fell on a house causing extensive damage. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $20,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $20,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $10,000 | A tree fell on a house near the hospital. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $10,000 | Power lines were blown down around Elba with a house damaged due to a fallen tree. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate. |
| January 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $3,000 | Trees and power lines down across Elba. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $3,000 | Several power lines were blown down in the Elba area. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $3,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down in Elba. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $3,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down around Elba. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $2,000 | Multiple trees and power lines were blown down in the Elba area. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $2,000 | A tree blew down onto a power line near County Road 518, resulting in a power outage. |
| April 2019 | Lightning | Elba | $1,000 | Lightning struck a transformer on Highway 87 near Elba. |
| March 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $1,000 | Several trees and a few power lines were blown down in Elba. Some roads were blocked by fallen debris. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $250 | Several downed trees blocked roads in northern part of the city. |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $250 | Several downed trees observed along State Highway 166. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | $250 | The Coffee County EMA reported a few trees down on County Road 239. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Several trees were blown down across Coffee county. |
| April 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A tree was blown down at 860 Old Samson Road. |
| April 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A tree was blown down onto Stroud Ave. |
| March 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Multiple trees were blown down near Highway 87 at Highway 125. |
| March 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Multiple trees were blown down along Farris Ave in Elba. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A tree was blown down on Herman Driggers Dr. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A few trees were blown down. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Several trees were blown down in Elba. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A tree was blown down in Elba. |
| January 2017 | Flash Flood | Elba | - | Flooding was reported on East Davis and Claxton Roads. The roads were reported to be impassible. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Trees were blown down throughout Elba. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Trees were blown down in the city of Elba. |
| November 2015 | Funnel Cloud | Elba | - | A funnel cloud was reported near Elba. |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A tree was blown down in Elba. |
| December 2011 | Funnel Cloud | Elba | - | The public reported a funnel cloud behind a home to the Elba police department as it moved eastward. No reports of damage were received. |
| March 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | Several trees were blown down in Elba. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elba | - | A few trees were blown down on Highway 189 north of Elba. |
| December 2008 | Flood | Elba | - | A portion of County Road 250 was closed due to high water. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Elba | - | Penny size hail was reported. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Elba | - | A SKYWARN storm spotter reported nickel size hail just north of Elba. |
| June 2004 | Hail | Elba | - | Penny size hail reported at Shady Grove by the Coffee County EMA. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Elba | - | Golfball size hail reported by the Coffee County EMA. |
| July 2004 | Funnel Cloud | Elba | - | A funnel cloud was reported by the Coffee County EMA. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Elba | - | Penny size hail reported by the Coffee County EMA. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Elba | - | Dime sized hail reported by Coffee County EMA. |
| April 1998 | Funnel Cloud | Elba | - | Public reports of funnel cloud across northern Coffee County including Elba. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Elba | - | Golfball sized hail reported two miles south of Elba. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle Hill | 4.4 miles | 8 | |
| Curtis | 4.9 miles | 8 | |
| Lee | 5.1 miles | 8 | |
| Danleys Crossroads | 5.3 miles | 8 | |
| Richburg | 5.8 miles | 11 | |
| Basin | 6.0 miles | 8 | |
| Damascus | 7.3 miles | 8 | |
| Pine Level | 7.6 miles | 8 |
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 Elba | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79487 | 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 117908. 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.