BlockPletcher, Alabama
16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1891 and the latest in 1987. It stands in the Isabella-Pletcher census division. It lies in ZIP code area 36750. It stands on Beaver Branch. The Survey maps it on the Pletcher quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 16 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.
- 1891 USGS Clanton quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1953 USGS Montgomery quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1956 USGS Montgomery quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Montgomery quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Plantersville quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1982 USGS Pletcher quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Clanton quadrangle1:100000
- 1987 USGS Clanton quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
154 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 154 fires within 5 miles of Pletcher between 1994 and 2020, burning about 1,475 acres in total. 7 started naturally. 20 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 | 77 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 27 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 20 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 12 |
| Natural | 7 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
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 1995 | Recreation and ceremony | 8.5 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190906-18 |
| 6 September 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 30 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 1997 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 September 2004 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 26 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 27 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190926-12 |
| 26 September 2019 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190926-14 |
| 23 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
7 since 2004Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pletcher in 7 storm reports between 2004 and 2024: 4 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2004 | Tornado (F2) | Pletcher | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pletcher | $10,000 | A roof was blown off a house on US 82, near the Autauga County line. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pletcher | - | Several trees were uprooted and limbs were broken along County Road 336 and County Road 15 near Pletcher. Also along County Road 336, metal roofing was removed from a small shed and an above ground swimming pool was damaged. |
| April 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Pletcher | - | The same storm that produced the Plantersville tornado continued northeastward. Some sporadic minor tree damage was observed around Pletcher but was more consistent with straight line winds. Damage became more consistent with a tornado as it reached a residence along County Road 359 where a couple trees were downed and minor roof damage occurred to the residence. Damage remained sporadic until it reached some residences along County Road 37. There portions of a porch overhang were blown off a residence, and two barns were damaged. One of these was destroyed though minimal damage was observed to nearby trees. A racecar trailer was blown 100 yards downstream and flattened. Minor tree damage continued as the tornado moved northeastward across County Road 9 and additional outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. The tornado intensified as it crossed an inaccessible area east of County Road 387 as depicted on satellite imagery by an area of heavier vegetation/timber damage, with winds estimated at 95 mph. Much of the roof was blown off a manufactured home on County Road 49, with another manufactured home having about half of its roofing materials removed. Another pole barn was destroyed near County Road 391 where a personal weather station measured a 95.7 mph gust at an elevation of 7 feet. Occasional trees and limbs were downed as the tornado crossed Interstate 65 near Highway 31, before the tornado dissipated after crossing County Road 480. |
| March 2021 | Tornado (EF2) | Pletcher | - | National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in southwest Chilton County and determined that it was consistent with an EF2 tornado, with maximum winds near 130 mph. A tornado touched down in an inaccessible area near Little Mulberry Creek northwest of Billingsley. It continued north-northeastward, uprooting a few trees along County Road 361. The tornado intensified as it crossed County Road 37 near the intersection with County Road 24. Near this intersection, an unanchored home was shifted off of its foundation and a large anchored building was destroyed. In addition, a doublewide manufactured home was completely destroyed with debris blown downstream, some exterior walls of a brick residence were collapsed, and outbuildings were damaged. The occupants of the manufactured home reported getting the warning and taking shelter with additional family members in a storm shelter minutes before the storm hit. The resident of the brick structure also reported receiving the warning and taking cover in an interior closet with a friend. Both were uninjured. Also near this intersection, another residence suffered roof damage, two vehicles were moved 15 feet, and multiple trees were uprooted. The tornado continued northeastward through a wooded area, snapping numerous trees before dissipating as it crossed County Road 16 just east of Pools Crossroads. |
| March 2019 | Hail | Pletcher | - | Quarter sized hail along Highway 82. |
| October 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Pletcher | - | NWS meteorologists surveyed damage in southern Chilton County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF0 tornado. Damage was sporadic along its short path, and primarily consisted of twigs and branches of various size that were broken off of trees. |
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.
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 125065. 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.