BlockRalph, Alabama
10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1984. It stands in the Fosters census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35480. It stands on McCracken Creek. The Survey maps it on the Ralph quadrangle. It stands 157 feet above sea level.
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 10 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 Birmingham quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1956 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1970 USGS Ralph quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Tuscaloosa quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
48 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 48 fires within 5 miles of Ralph between 1994 and 2019, burning about 494 acres in total. None started naturally. 11 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 | 16 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 11 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Smoking | 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 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 60 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 September 2015 | Other causes | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | NWR-20150925-001 |
| 23 September 1996 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 11 September 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20170911-2 |
| 31 August 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 378 COUNTY ROAD 60, AL |
| 16 August 2002 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Ralph: 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Iron. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown |
Storms near this place
13 since 2003Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ralph in 13 storm reports between 2003 and 2023: 4 hail, 3 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. The reports record 44 deaths and 800 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 (EF4) | Ralph | 44 killed, 800 hurt, $1,500,000,000 | This tornado initially touched down in rural northern Greene County and moved northeast through southern Tuscaloosa and western Jefferson Counties, causing devastating damage consistent with a violent EF4 rating to portions of the city of Tuscaloosa and western suburbs of Birmingham, before it lifted northeast of downtown Birmingham. The tornado entered Tuscaloosa County just north of CR 60, west northwest of Ralph, and moved northeast causing tree damage and minor structural damage consistent with an EF2 rating and winds of 125 mph. The tornado strengthened as it crossed the Black Warrior River, north of Interstate 20 and approached Tuscaloosa. As the tornado approached Interstate 359, several buildings were destroyed including the Tuscaloosa County Emergency Operations Center. The tornado strengthened further to a violent EF4 with winds of 190 mph. Along 15th St E. and McFarland Blvd E., several small restaurants and stores were destroyed, with only a wall or two still standing. The tornado devastated the Cedar Crest neighborhood just north of 15th St, leveling many cinder block homes and causing at least 3 fatalities. The tornado crossed McFarland Blvd, destroying additional stores and restaurants. The tornado crossed University Blvd in the Alberta City community. Alberta Elementary School suffered nearly complete destruction, with only a few portions of walls still standing. A nearby two story apartment building was reduced to rubble sitting on the foundation. The Alberta Park Shopping Center was completely destroyed with no walls standing and a pile of debris on the foundation. Cinder block construction homes in the surrounding neighborhood were completely destroyed, and in a few cases debris was swept away from the site. The tornado continued northeast and struck the Chastain Manor Apartments at the north end of 34th Ave E. Buildings on the east side of this new 2 story apartment complex were completely destroyed, with only a pile of debris remaining and a few walls set into the hillside. A small club house that was anchored to a foundation, but with apparently no interior walls, was completely destroyed and swept from its foundation. Similar devastation to homes and businesses was noted along both sides of CR 45 near 1st St E. and locations to the northeastward. East of Holt, the tornado path width widened from 0.5 mile to around 1 mile. The tornado crossed Holt Peterson Rd just northwest of Clinker Rd, where two homes were completely destroyed. One home on a foundation was swept clean, with only floor joists remaining attached to the foundation. Almost all trees were blown down or snapped in the vicinity, as well as in the bottom of a narrow ravine nearly 100 feet below the house. The tornado continued to Holt Lock and Dam Road near its intersection with Recreation Area Road. Numerous mobile homes and several cinder block homes were destroyed in this area, which resulted in several fatalities. The tornado struck a marina on Holt Lake at the end of Recreation Area Road where it caused significant damage to a restaurant as well as numerous boats. Several injuries were noted in this area. The tornado continued northeastward and weakened to an EF3 rating with winds of 130 mph. As its path narrowed to 0.5 mile, the tornado passed north of Brookwood, near the intersection of Hannah Creek Rd and CR 59. Several mobile homes were destroyed, cinder block homes received heavy damage, and significant tree damage was noted in this area. The tornado moved parallel to Hannah Creek Rd where it caused extensive tree damage and destroyed at least one mobile home. The tornado crossed CR 99 and moved into western Jefferson County, 4 miles north of Abernant. A person died (indirect) several weeks after the event as a result of contracting pneumonia from exposure to the elements after his home was destroyed. An additional 6 people died (indirect) in the months following the tornado from the stress of the event, not direct injury.||This tornado was produced by a supercell thunderstorm that began in Newton County Mississippi at 13:54 pm CST, finally dissipating in Macon County, North Carolina at approximately 21:18 pm CST. This supercell spawned several strong to violent tornadoes along its long path. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF3) | Ralph | $7,060,000 | The second segment of this tornado crossed into Tuscaloosa County, approximately one half mile west of Lock 9 Road. The tornado touched down in Greene County, 3 miles southeast of Ralph. The tornado strengthened to an EF-3 rating, with maximum winds of 140 mph. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted and a power transmission tower was severely damaged. As the tornado moved northeast into Taylorville, several homes and businesses received structural damage. The tornado lifted near Mayfair Drive, south of Veterans Memorial Parkway. The damage path in Tuscaloosa County had a maximum width of 500 yards. |
| March 2005 | Hail | Ralph | $27,000 | The same supercell that moved through Aliceville in Pickens County produced a large hail swath across far southern Tuscaloosa County. Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported and completelycovered the ground in several locations. The hail covered Interstate 20/59 near Exit 62 and temporarilystopped traffic. Several vehicles received minor hail damage. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Ralph | $1,000 | A portion of Romulus Road, near Jacobs Lane in the southwest corner of Tuscaloosa County, had to be closed due to flooding. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ralph | - | A long-lived supercell thunderstorm produced widespread damage across far southwest Tuscaloosa County, mainly in the Ralph Community. Hundreds of tree were uprooted and snapped between Ralph and Interstate 20. In addition to the significant tree damage, numerous structures were also damaged, some heavily. Notably, several homes with varying degrees of roof and siding damage, including occasional partial roof loss, were observed around Sipsey Valley Road, Ralph Loop, Shepard Park Road, and Shadow Wood Road. The area from Ralph Loop and Sipsey Valley southeastward to Shadow Wood contained the most intense area of damage, with winds estimated up to 95 mph. Several homes sustained roof damage/loss, either from wind or trees. |
| February 2022 | Flash Flood | Ralph | - | Several roads flooded and impassable along and north of I-20. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ralph | - | Several trees uprooted and power lines downed along Sipsey Valley Road. |
| January 2015 | Tornado (EF0) | Ralph | - | National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in Tuscaloosa County and confirmed a weak tornado. The tornado entered Tuscaloosa County from Greene County about one-quarter of a mile south of Homestead Road. Two homes suffered roof damage and several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. The tornado lifted just north of Romulus Road. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ralph | - | A tree was reported down on Sipsey Valley Road, west of Wesley Chapel Road. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Ralph | - | Hail up to penny size was reported in extreme southwest Tuscaloosa County in the Romulus community. |
| May 2010 | Hail | Ralph | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Ralph | - | no account filed |
| October 2007 | Funnel Cloud | Ralph | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadowood | 0.9 miles | 10 | |
| Sylvan | 4.3 miles | 14 | |
| Mountainbrook | 5.2 miles | 14 | |
| Fosters | 5.7 miles | 14 | |
| Romulus Acres | 6.6 miles | 15 | |
| Romulus | 7.3 miles | 10 | |
| Hull | 10.5 miles | 17 | |
| Kings Acres | 11.1 miles | 17 |
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 Ralph | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q14679403 | 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 153104. 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.