Samson, Alabama
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Samson census division. It lies in ZIP code area 36477. The Survey maps it on the Samson quadrangle. 1,874 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 202 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresSamson fell from 1,940 to 1,874 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,940 | |
| 2020 | 1,874 | -66 (-3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 8 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 Andalusia quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Andalusia quadrangle1:250000
- 1968 USGS Samson quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Andalusia quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
46 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 46 fires within 5 miles of Samson between 1994 and 2020, burning about 467 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 8 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 | 17 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 8 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Other causes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190930-17 |
| 19 September 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | SER-20140919-001 |
| 16 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 1.5 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 31 August 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 1 August 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | 27 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 July 2010 | Debris and open burning | 3.5 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 July 2000 | Natural | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 13 July 2000 | Natural | 17 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Samson: 2 unknowns, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Iron, 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 5 Clay Prospect | Clay | Prospect | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown |
Storms near this place
37 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Samson in 37 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 25 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Samson | 3 hurt, $100,000 | An F1 tornado touched down five miles northeast of Samson off CR 8. One mobile was lifted 50 feet off its foundation and destroyed. The three occupants sustained minor injuries. |
| September 1998 | Flash Flood | Samson | $1,500,000 | Torrential rains produced considerable flash flooding of city and residential streets. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $75,000 | Several downed trees and power lines. A house and nearby vehicle were damaged by a fallen tree. Reported by the Geneva County EMA. |
| March 2012 | Lightning | Samson | $35,000 | The Geneva County Reaper newspaper reported that lightning struck Samson High School, burning a hole in the wall of the gym. No injuries were reported. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $25,000 | The Geneva County EMA reported downed trees and a barn destroyed just north of Mims Hill. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $20,000 | The Geneva County EMA reported a few downed trees and power lines, minor roof damage to a church, and a damaged pump house. |
| January 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $15,000 | A large tree blew down across County Road 16 West, and a car ran into it. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $10,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down near Samson. At least one auto accident occurred due to a tree in the roadway. No injuries were reported. Trees were also down along Highway 87. |
| September 2012 | Tornado (EF0) | Samson | $10,000 | A brief EF0 tornado touched down between South Canal and South Broad Street in Samson. Several trees and power lines were blown down, including at least one tree on a house as well as roof damage to another house. Law enforcement initially reported seeing a funnel cloud in the area and later confirmed the funnel cloud briefly touched down as a tornado. Max winds were estimated around 80 mph. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $5,000 | Numerous trees were blown down across much of Geneva county. Monetary damage was estimated. |
| March 2001 | Flash Flood | Samson | $5,000 | Armstrong, Azela, and County Roads 153 and 9 under water. Reported by the Geneva County EMA. |
| December 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $5,000 | no account filed |
| March 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $2,000 | A line was reported down in the Samson area. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $2,000 | Strong winds blew a tree onto power lines near Chase and Hornsby roads, resulting in a power outage. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $2,000 | Power lines were blown down in the Samson area. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $2,000 | A power line was blown down in Samson. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $2,000 | Multiple trees were blown down near Samson with a large tree blocking the road. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $1,000 | Numerous downed trees reported by the Geneva Fire Department. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $500 | The public submitted a picture on social media of a large tree down 2 miles south of Samson on Highway 87. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | $500 | Several trees down reported by the Geneva County Sheriff. |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Several trees were blown down in Samson. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Samson | - | Flooding of streets occurred in Samson. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Trees were blown down in the Samson area. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Several trees were blown down in Geneva county. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Trees were blown down near Samson. |
| January 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Two downed trees were reported between mile markers 25 and 26 on Highway 52 West. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Trees were blown down in the Samson area. |
| January 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Trees were blown down in the Samson area. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Trees were blown down in the Samson area. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Trees were blown down around Samson. |
| November 2015 | Funnel Cloud | Samson | - | There were several sightings of a funnel cloud near Samson. |
| April 2014 | Flood | Samson | - | Several roads around Samson were closed due to flooding from a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rain and saturated conditions already in place from previous heavy rain earlier in the month. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Samson | - | Several trees were down just west of Samson. |
| April 2009 | Hail | Samson | - | Penny size hail was reported in Samson. |
| March 2009 | Hail | Samson | - | Quarter sized hail was reported in Samson. |
| March 2020 | Hail | Samson | - | no account filed |
| March 2018 | Hail | Samson | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sellersville | 2.5 miles | 8 | |
| Pera | 2.9 miles | 8 | |
| Ganer | 3.8 miles | 8 | |
| Marl | 3.8 miles | 12 | |
| Piney Grove | 3.9 miles | 8 | |
| Spears | 3.9 miles | 12 | |
| Earlytown | 4.5 miles | 8 | |
| Weeks | 4.5 miles | 8 |
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 Samson | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79319 | 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 153310. 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.



