Potter, Alabama
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Selma census division. It lies in ZIP code area 36701. It stands on Tate Branch. The Survey maps it on the Selma quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 15 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
- 1958 USGS Selma quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Selma quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1975 USGS Selma quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Selma quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
123 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 123 fires within 5 miles of Potter between 1994 and 2019, burning about 690 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 9 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 | 57 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 18 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 13 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 13 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 6 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2005 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 2000 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 1995 | Natural | 45 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 1995 | Natural | 75 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 26 September 2000 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 23 September 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | NWR-20140923-002 |
| 23 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 8.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 3.6 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190922-22 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Potter: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Clay, Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Henry Pit | Clay | Producer |
Storms near this place
11 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Potter in 11 storm reports between 2008 and 2025: 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 heavy rain. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2008 | Tornado (EF2) | Potter | $350,000 | The tornado touched down near Warrior Drive, just southeast of the Perry County line. It then tracked northeastward across AL-219 near the intersection of CR-230, moved right through the Summerfield Community, and crossed CR-37, before lifting just east of the intersection of CR-37 and CR-844. At least 5 structures, including 2 mobile homes and a metal warehouse, were destroyed. Twelve to fifteen additional structures, including several homes and an auto body shop, were damaged to varying degrees. Hundreds of trees were either snapped off or uprooted along the damage path. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Potter | $12,000 | A couple large trees and power lines were knocked down in and around the Amazing Grace Mobile Home Park. In addition, the underpinning of several mobile homes sustained damage. A trampoline was blown several lots down and into the side of a mobile home, its legs puncturing the exterior wall of the mobile home. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Potter | $1,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down on CR-924, near the Potter Station Community. |
| May 2025 | Flash Flood | Potter | - | Heavy rainfall led to numerous instances of flooding in Selma. Flooded roadways included Broad St, Highland Ave, Dallas Ave, Alabama Ave, Water Ave, Mabry St, and Maxey St. A water rescue took place from a vehicle at Water and Maxey. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Potter | - | Numerous trees were blown down on the west side of Selma, resulting in power outages. |
| April 2018 | Flash Flood | Potter | - | The Valley Grande Golf Course under several feet of water and portions of Highway 219 impassable due to high water. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Potter | - | Several trees uprooted along Moores Ferry Road. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Potter | - | Several trees uprooted along Highway 219. |
| March 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Potter | - | A tree fell through the roof of a home. |
| March 2008 | Heavy Rain | Potter | - | Street flooding was reported at Vaughan Regional Medical Center, and on on Water Avenue, in Selma. |
| February 2009 | Hail | Potter | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Mill Village | 3.5 miles | 15 | |
| Pernell | 4.8 miles | 13 | |
| Selma | 4.9 miles | 15 | |
| West Selmont | 5.5 miles | 15 | |
| Beloit | 5.7 miles | 13 | |
| Harrell | 5.8 miles | 13 | |
| Selmont | 5.8 miles | 15 | |
| Marion Junction | 6.9 miles | 13 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 125208. 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.






