BlockFord City, Alabama
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1914 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Leighton census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35661. It stands on Shegog Creek. The Survey maps it on the Killen quadrangle. It stands 548 feet above sea level.
On record in Ford City
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 1 record
Clyde Carter Houselisted 2004
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 18 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.
- 1914 USGS Muscle Shoals quadrangle1:48000
- 1916 USGS Muscle Shoals quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1936 USGS Killen quadrangle1:24000
- 1953 USGS Killen quadrangle1:24000
- 1956 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Killen quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1986 USGS Tuscumbia quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
137 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 137 fires within 5 miles of Ford City between 1994 and 2016, burning about 556 acres in total. None started naturally. 27 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 | 59 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 27 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 15 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 8 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 3 |
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 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20160907-3 |
| 7 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20160907-6 |
| 5 September 1995 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 30 September 2008 | Debris and open burning | 1.5 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | RIVER ROAD, AL |
| 28 September 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 27 September 2008 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 27 September 2000 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
42 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ford City in 42 storm reports between 2008 and 2025: 41 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. The reports record 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Ford City | 1 hurt, $608,000 | The tornado touched down near Ford City where initial tree limbs snapped then rapidly began uprooting numerous trees north of River Road. Several trees were uprooted on River Road. One of these trees fell on a home and the drywall fell and scratched a child, resulting in one injury. North of River Road, several trees were found uprooted along with two collapsed silos along Sprout Spring Hollow Road. These silos had been in place since the 1930s and were completely destroyed, marking the maximum intensity of 105 mph. The tornado then tracked east-southeast toward Foster Mills and Red Bank, uprooting numerous trees along its path and snapping large limbs. The tornado then proceeded to cross the Tennessee River - Wheeler Lake into Lauderdale County. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $156,000 | A very large tree was knocked down onto a home at 7355 River Road. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $20,000 | Two outbuildings were destroyed and one large pecan tree over 100 years old was blown down. One tin building was destroyed. |
| March 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds lifted a portable garage up into a tree on Foster Hill Road. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $15,000 | Multiple trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds around Spout Springs road and Wheeler View drive. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $10,000 | A few trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $8,000 | A power pole and power lines were knocked down. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $8,000 | The Nitrate city fire department reported trees down on Wallace Mill Road. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $5,000 | Trees and powerlines were reported down at 405 Wallace Mill Road. Time was estimated from radar. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $4,000 | A power pole was snapped in half. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $3,000 | A tree was blown down on River Road. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $2,000 | A tree and some power lines were reported down near 14070 County Line Road. Time was estimated from radar data. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $2,000 | A power pole was leaning or down at 2130 Hatton School Road. Time was estimated from radar data. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $2,000 | A power pole was reported leaning by 991 center for Colbert county at at 1457 Wallace Mill Road. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $2,000 | A power pole was knocked over at 85 Veterans Drive. Time estimated by radar. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $2,000 | A tree was blown down on Gargis Hollow Road. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $2,000 | A severe thunderstorm knocked down a few power lines along Wallace Mill Road. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was reported down at 180 Alloys Park Lane. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was knocked down at 380 Ashmore Circle. Time estimated by radar. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was knocked down at 180 Alloys Park Lane. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was blown down near 1690 Spout Springs Drive. Time was estimated from radar data. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was reported down near 10855 2nd Street. Time was estimated from radar data. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was reported down near the intersection of Mt. Pleasant Road and Wallace Mill Road. Time was estimated by radar. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was reported down at the intersection of Hatton School road and East 2nd Street. Time was estimated from radar. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was reported down near the intersection of Spout Springs Road and River Road. Time was estimated from radar. |
| December 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A power pole was snapped and lines knocked down on Baker Road. |
| November 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A power pole was knocked down near the corner of Hatton School Road and East 2nd Street. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was blown down on power lines at the Shady Grove Untied Methodist church. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $1,000 | A tree was blown down in Hatton on Hatton Lane. |
| September 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $500 | A tree was knocked down at 170 Veterans Drive. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $500 | A tree was knocked down on Lakewood Drive. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $500 | A tree was knocked down onto a residence causing minor roof damage near Ford City. Small hail also reported at this location. Time estimated by radar. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $500 | A tree was knocked down against a house. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $500 | A tree was knocked down at 7532 River Road. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $500 | A tree was knocked down at 71 Mill Stream Trail. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $200 | A tree was knocked down at the intersection of River Road and County Line Road. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $200 | A tree was knocked down at Lime Kiln Hollow Drive and Lime Drive. Time estimated by radar. |
| March 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $200 | A tree was knocked down at River Road and Gargis Hollow Road. Time estimated by radar. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | $200 | A tree was knocked down at a restaurant. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | - | A large tree fell on a home in the Ford City area. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | - | Multiple trees were knocked down on River Road at Lakeview Drive. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ford City | - | A tree was blown down on Brick School Road. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Shores | 1.1 miles | 18 | |
| Paradise Points | 1.4 miles | 18 | |
| Alabama Shores | 1.5 miles | 18 | |
| Davidsons Cross Roads (historical) | 1.8 miles | 18 | |
| Peytona Points | 2.0 miles | 18 | |
| Underwood Crossroads | 2.0 miles | 18 | |
| Nitrate City | 2.6 miles | 18 | |
| Wilson Lake Shores | 2.9 miles | 18 |
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 Ford City | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q5467685 | 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 118478. 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.