Vernon, Alabama

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1984. It stands in the Vernon census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35592. It stands on Buck Creek. The Survey maps it on the Vernon quadrangle. 1,921 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 295 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Vernon within Lamar County

Population over time

2 figures

Vernon fell from 2,000 to 1,921 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	2,000
2020	1,921	-79 (-4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 12 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.

1953 USGS West Point quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
1958 USGS West Point quadrangle1:250000
1963 USGS West Point quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1967 USGS Vernon quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
1982 USGS West Point quadrangle1:100000
1984 USGS West Point quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings

Fires near this place

116 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 116 fires within 5 miles of Vernon between 1994 and 2020, burning about 777 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 26 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	33
Arson/incendiarism	26
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	26
Smoking	13
Recreation and ceremony	10
Equipment and vehicle use	3
Natural	3
Railroad operations and maintenance	1
Misuse of fire by a minor	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
7 September 2006	Smoking	26 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named
5 September 1994	Debris and open burning	4.0 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named
29 September 2000	Arson/incendiarism	5.0 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named
27 September 2019	Arson/incendiarism	45 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	20190927-4
27 September 2006	Arson/incendiarism	19 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named
26 September 1999	Smoking	under an acre	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named
20 September 1999	Arson/incendiarism	5.8 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named
2 September 2000	Debris and open burning	3.0 acres	Alabama Forestry Commission	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Lamar County

Mines and quarries near this place

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Vernon: 3 unknowns, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Iron, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Holiday Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Unnamed	Iron	Unknown
Unnamed	Iron	Unknown
Unnamed	Iron	Unknown

Every working recorded in Lamar County

Storms near this place

60 of 103 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Vernon in 103 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 52 thunderstorm wind, 23 hail, 18 flash flood, 3 tornado. The reports record 1 death and 13 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 2001	Lightning	Vernon	1 killed, 6 hurt	A Lamar County High School student, a ninth grader, was killed when he was hit by lightning during football practice according to newspaper reports. A Sheriff's dispatcher said the sky was overcast when the bolt hit the student. He was taken to the hospital immediately and later transferred to Children's Hospital in Birmingham where he died three days later. Several other students including football players and band members were also injured, none seriously.
April 1995	Tornado (F1)	Vernon	6 hurt, $650,000	A tornado began about six miles southwest of Vernon just north of the location where County 9 crosses the Yellow Creek. The tornado moved north directly toward Vernon, but lifted about two miles southwest of the center of town.
January 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	1 hurt, $10,000	A tree fell on a vehicle, trapping a woman inside. The woman was subsequently freed by rescuers, and taken to the hospital for undisclosed injuries.
December 2009	Flash Flood	Vernon	$100,000	Several roads in the city of Vernon had to be closed due to flooding, including AL-17 and AL-18. Water eventually reached car hood level on a portion of AL-17. An apartment complex on AL-18 became flooded.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$60,000	Several trees were blown down in and around Vernon. Some of the trees landed on buildings causing damage. A few signs were also blown down and one landed on an automobile. A church steeple was knocked off the First United Methodist Church and a pavilion was destroyed. No injuries were reported.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$50,000	Trees were uprooted and numerous tree limbs were downed in the Molloy community located about five miles west of Vernon. A car was crushed by one tree and several houses sustained damaged when trees fell on them.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$25,000	Trees and Power lines were blown down across much of central Lamar County including in and around Vernon and Bedford.
January 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$20,000	Thunderstorm winds damaged several structures in southwest Vernon, just west of SR 17 and just south of SR 18. Trees and power lines were blow down, three tin warehouses sustained door and wall damage, and a nearby home sustained shingle damage. The Lamar Lumber and Supply building sustained interior damage due to one of the large bay doors being left open and wind funneling through and causing windows to be blown outward. The damage area was 1/2 mile wide, with winds estimated between 60 and 70 mph.
November 2005	Tornado (F0)	Vernon	$20,000	A brief tornado touched down in Vernon. The tornado partially tore the roof off a building supply company and slightly damaged a few other adjacent smaller buildings. The damage occurred along SR 18 approximately one block west of SR 17. Begin/End: 33.7546/88.1118
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$20,000	Numerous trees were down in Vernon and south of Vernon.
August 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$15,000	Numerous trees were knocked down across the southern half of the County.
July 2010	Hail	Vernon	$15,000	Quarter sized hail fell just south of Vernon.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$15,000	Trees were down in several areas around Vernon. One fell on a house knocking a hole in the roof and damaging the ceiling and walls.
January 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$12,000	no account filed
February 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$10,000	Trees and powerlines were knocked down across much of the county.
April 2011	Flash Flood	Vernon	$10,000	Several roads in the city of Vernon became impassable due to flash flooding.
July 2004	Lightning	Vernon	$10,000	Lightning struck a home just east of Vernon. The ensuing fire caused damaged to the home.
February 2003	Flash Flood	Vernon	$10,000	Some road flooding was reported on Highway 17 near Vernon. An embankment caved in along the highway.
September 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$10,000	A roof was blown off a house and several trees were knocked down. This damage occurred just southwest of Vernon on CR 9.
March 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$10,000	no account filed
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$8,000	Several trees were blown down along CR 9 and Yellow Creek Road.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$8,000	Numerous trees were blown down near the intersection of SR 17 and Beaver Creek Road. Several other trees were also blown down across the county.
October 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$7,000	Numerous trees and power lines down along county road 9 and highway 17.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$7,000	A few trees and power lines were down north of Vernon.
March 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$7,000	no account filed
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$6,000	Trees and a few power lines were reported down between Sulligent and Vernon. Time estimated.
December 2009	Flash Flood	Vernon	$5,000	Several inches of water was flowing across a portion of AL-18, in the city of Vernon.
October 2009	Flash Flood	Vernon	$5,000	Another round of heavy rain caused the closure of several roads, in and around the city of Vernon.
May 2003	Tornado (F1)	Vernon	$5,000	A brief F1 torando touched down in the central part of Lamar County just east of SR 17 on Mount Pisgah Road. The tornado traveled in an easterly direction downing trees and power lines.Beg: 33 47.933/88 06.539 End: 33 47.945/88 05.970
February 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$5,000	Trees were blown down in and around the city of Vernon.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$5,000	no account filed
July 1996	Hail	Vernon	$5,000	no account filed
October 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$3,000	Trees were blown down on Beaver Creek Road.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$3,000	Power outages were reported as the result of downed power lines.
May 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$3,000	Several trees and power lines were blown down along SR-17, north of Vernon.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$3,000	Scattered trees were blown down across the north end of the county, mainly north of Vernon.
May 2003	Flash Flood	Vernon	$3,000	Water covered SR 18 in Vernon making the highway temporarily impassable.
September 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$3,000	Trees and power lines were blown down on SR 17 and on SR 18 near Vernon.
September 2009	Flash Flood	Vernon	$2,000	Several roads in downtown Vernon became temporarily impassable due to flooding.
October 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$2,000	Winds estimated around 45 mph blew the tin roofing off of a building, on AL-17 in Vernon.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$2,000	Several trees were blown down and blocked AL-18, about a mile south of Vernon.
September 2009	Flash Flood	Vernon	$2,000	Several secondary roads west of Vernon, near AL-18, had to be closed due to flooding.
April 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$2,000	Powerlines downed on CR 9 in Vernon.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$2,000	Three trees were blown down on Mullberry Road.
March 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$2,000	Trees were knocked down on Yellow Creek Road in Vernon.
November 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$2,000	Several trees were blown down just north of Vernon and also north of Millport.
August 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	$500	A single tree was blown down on CR-9, southwest of Vernon.
April 2026	Hail	Vernon	-	Quarter-size hail fell around Vernon.
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Trees and power lines were downed across Vernon and nearby areas.
April 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Multiple trees were downed across Lamar County, including the Vernon and Sulligent areas.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Trees and power lines were downed in the Vernon area.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Several trees uprooted and power lines downed in Vernon.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Multiple trees uprooted in Vernon.
April 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Several trees uprooted near the town of Vernon.
April 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Several trees uprooted in and around the town of Vernon.
June 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Several trees uprooted near Highway 17 at the Vernon Post Office.
April 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Several trees uprooted and power lines downed in the town of Vernon.
May 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	A business in downtown Vernon sustained sustained substantial roof damage. Several Power lines were knocked down as well.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Numerous trees uprooted across southern Lamar County between the cities of Vernon and Millport.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Vernon	-	Several trees uprooted near the intersection of Hells Creek Road and Mitchell Road.

Every storm recorded in Lamar 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.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Hightogy	4.3 miles	13
Molloy	5.1 miles	13
Crossville	5.7 miles	13
Bedford	5.8 miles	12
Star	6.4 miles	13
Kingville	7.2 miles	13
Blooming Grove	7.4 miles	11
Moscow	7.8 miles	12

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 Vernon	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q79443	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 153839. 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.