BlockMertz, Alabama
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 2002. It stands in the Centreville-Brent census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35034. The Survey maps it on the Payne Lake quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 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.
- 1953 USGS Montgomery quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1956 USGS Montgomery quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Montgomery quadrangle1:250000
- 1980 USGS Payne Lake quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Demopolis quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Demopolis quadrangle1:100000
- 2002 USGS Payne Lake quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
86 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 86 fires within 5 miles of Mertz between 1993 and 2020, burning about 5,054 acres in total. 15 started naturally. 30 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 | 30 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 |
| Natural | 15 |
| Debris and open burning | 10 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2011 | Natural | 6.0 acres | National Forests in Alabama | HALF BAKED |
| 9 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 14 acres | National Forests in Alabama | YEAGER |
| 5 September 1999 | Natural | 1.0 acres | National Forests in Alabama | PENSON BALLARD |
| 27 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 8.0 acres | National Forests in Alabama | GEORGES |
| 22 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 148 acres | National Forests in Alabama | OK COMPARTMENT 49 |
| 16 September 2004 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | National Forests in Alabama | TRASHPILE |
| 16 September 2000 | Natural | 27 acres | National Forests in Alabama | LOW GAP |
| 30 August 2007 | Natural | 16 acres | National Forests in Alabama | JEFF |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
4 since 2007Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Mertz in 4 storm reports between 2007 and 2011: 3 tornado, 1 hail. 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 (EF3) | Mertz | 1 killed, 10 hurt, $14,000,000 | A tornado touched down in southwestern Greene County near Tishabee, and moved northeast through central Hale and Bibb Counties, before it lifted near Marvel in far northeast Bibb County. The tornado moved into the Talladega National Forest near Ingram and crossed into Bibb County north of Mertz. The tornado tracked northeastward where it caused significant tree damage in the national forest. The tornado moved through Eoline and caused significant structural damage consistent with an EF3 rating and winds of 145 mph. Numerous mobile homes and single family homes sustained minor to major damage. A dozen mobile homes and single family homes were destroyed. In addition, the Eoline Fire Dept and another business were destroyed. One fatality occurred in a vehicle near the fire dept. At least 10 other injuries were noted. The tornado continued northeast and crossed AL Hwy 5, south of West Blocton where it weakened slightly to an EF2 with winds of 125 mph. Several mobile homes and single family homes sustained major damage or were destroyed near CR 26. Along the path, thousands of trees were downed. The tornado continued to weaken and lifted just northeast of Marvel. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Mertz | $275,000 | A tornado initially touched down in eastern Hale County, near the community of Hogglesville and tracked northeast into the Talladega National Forest and western Bibb County. The tornado tracked parallel to CR 25, where it caused significant tree damage in the national forest. Damage was consistent with winds of 110 mph and an EF1 rating. The tornado lifted just east of Mertz. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Mertz | $88,750 | A tornado touched down in Bibb County, along State Highway 25. The tornado has been rated an EF-1, with maximum winds at 105 mph. As the tornado moved northeast, it crossed Highway 5 south of West Blocton where several homes sustained moderate roof damage. Along the path, hundreds of trees were either snapped or uprooted. The tornado lifted along County Road 24, 3 miles east of West Blocton. |
| April 2007 | Hail | Mertz | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pondville | 3.4 miles | 11 | |
| Data (historical) | 5.1 miles | 11 | |
| Spencer | 7.4 miles | 11 | |
| Nichols (historical) | 7.8 miles | 11 | |
| Duff Settlement | 8.2 miles | 11 | |
| Egypt (historical) | 8.2 miles | 20 | |
| Harrisburg | 8.2 miles | 11 | |
| Little Hope | 8.6 miles | 20 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 159042. 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.