BlockBefore

Orchard, Alabama

32 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1922 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the Mobile census division. It lies in ZIP code area 36618. It stands on Stone Branch. The Survey maps it on the Spring Hill quadrangle.

Orchard within Mobile County

Topographic sheets covering this place

13 surveys from 32 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

208 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 208 fires within 5 miles of Orchard between 1994 and 2018, burning about 1,568 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 65 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 burning70
Arson/incendiarism65
Missing data/not specified/undetermined37
Recreation and ceremony18
Misuse of fire by a minor8
Natural4
Equipment and vehicle use3
Railroad operations and maintenance3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
8 September 1995Debris and open burning5.0 acresAlabama Forestry Commissionnot named
3 September 2011Debris and open burning10 acresAlabama Forestry CommissionAZALIA LANE (OAK GROVE), AL
29 September 2003Debris and open burning1.7 acresAlabama Forestry Commissionnot named
26 September 1996Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreAlabama Forestry Commissionnot named
26 September 1994Misuse of fire by a minor1.0 acresAlabama Forestry Commissionnot named
24 September 2014Arson/incendiarismunder an acreAlabama Forestry CommissionSWR-20140924-003
11 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresAlabama Forestry CommissionSWR-20120911-001
10 September 1999Arson/incendiarism2.0 acresAlabama Forestry Commissionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Mobile County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 12 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Orchard: 8 producers, 4 past producers. 8 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Laidlaw No. 1 PitClayPast Producer
Laidlaw Number 1 QuarryClay, Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerUnconsolidated Sediments
Tommy Graham Pit No. 2Clay, Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Harris QuarrySand and Gravel, Construction, ClayProducerUnconsolidated Sediments
John Maples PitSand and Gravel, Construction, ClayPast Producer
Tommy Graham Pit No. 1Sand and Gravel, Construction, ClayPast Producer
Brunson Pit Number 6Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerQuartz
Unnamed QuarrySand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerQuartz
Unnamed QuarrySand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerQuartz
Unnamed QuarrySand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerQuartz

Every working recorded in Mobile County

Storms near this place

11 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Orchard in 11 storm reports between 2008 and 2025: 4 tornado, 3 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 2019Flash FloodOrchard$100,000Nearly stationary thunderstorms developed over portions of eastern Mobile County from near the Regional airport eastward to downtown Mobile. These thunderstorms produced very heavy rain with storm total amounts of 4 inches to over 10 inches over rain in a few hours. Numerous reports of flooding were received from mid-town and downtown Mobile. Water covered roads and parking lots near Dauphin Street and Airport Blvd. near I-65, McGregor and Old Shell Road, Airport and Dauphin Island Parkway, Old Shell Road and Sage Road. Numerous cars were flooded and stranded in the area. Flooded roads were also reported in the Tillman's corner community.
April 2013Thunderstorm WindSouth Orchard$5,000Winds estimated at 60 mph downed power lines.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindSouth Orchard$2,000A severe thunderstorm wind gusts blew down a large tree near Dauphin Island Parkway and Saltaire Drive.
April 2015Thunderstorm WindOrchard$1,000Severe thunderstorm winds blew a tree down in the roadway on Bear Fork Rd near Moffett Rd.
May 2025Tornado (EF0)Orchard-The tornado first touched down just west of Orchard Dr, north of Howells |Ferry Rd. It continued northeast and moved across the Princeton Woods |subdivision. After that it crossed Moffett Rd near University Ave and |came to an end. No damage was noted further east toward N University Blvd.|There were numerous large branches downed with a few uprooted softwood trees|along the path. Two homes had trees or large branches on their roofs.
October 2022Tornado (EF0)Orchard-Tornado began along Lucerne Drive and moved north-northeast as it|crossed Overlook Road. The damage along Lucerne Drive was|predominantly confined to trees and fences as the tornado moved|toward Donham Drive. The tornado then crossed Howells Ferry Road|and moved along Grider Road. The tornado continued to the north-|northeast with more damage to sheds and homes along Grider Road.|One home near Rose Hill Lane had some uplift to the roof with|more tree damage nearby. The tornado moved over a heavily wooded|area before likely lifting around Moffett Road. The tornado may|have continued off to the north-northeast, but that wooded area|is completely inaccessible.
March 2022Tornado (EF0)Orchard-Another tornado began south of Howells Ferry Road, east of|Howells Lane. A couple trees were snapped in the residential area,|along with fencing down and the roof of an awning that was blown|down. A basketball hoop was knocked over into a brick pillar,|destroying the pillar. The storm progressed north-northeast and|uprooted one or two large trees and caused several snapped trees.|Minor roof damage was noted to a nearby home along with bent|garage doors as well. The tornado likely continued north-northeast|over more forest and dissipated possibly over an adjacent|landfill. Debris from this landfill was tossed into upstream|residential areas.
June 2020Tornado (EF0)Orchard-A very brief, weak EF-0 tornado touched down just north of|Zeigler Blvd on Durbin Court and tracked northeast, lifting as it approached|the Mobile Fairgrounds. The damage with the tornado was very sporadic|and light, with mainly branches of softwood trees damaged. ||It should be noted that most of the notable damage was from 60 to 70 mph|straight line winds that continued further to the north and east toward |the Overlook Dr and Moffett Road areas, resulting in sporadic tree, power|line, and minor roof damage. Thanks to Mobile County EMA for their |assistance.
June 2023HailOrchard-no account filed
June 2018HailOrchard-no account filed
June 2008HailSouth Orchard-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Mobile County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Princeton Woods0.9 miles32
Alpine Hills1.1 miles32
Granato Estates1.2 miles32
Hillsdale Heights1.4 miles32
Park Forest1.7 miles32
Parkview Estates1.8 miles32
Acropolis Heights1.8 miles32
Overlook Estates2.0 miles32

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 124301. 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.