BlockBeta, Colorado
10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1951 and the latest in 1980. It stands in the Merino census division. It lies in ZIP code area 80741. The Survey maps it on the Messex quadrangle.
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.
- 1951 USGS Messex quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1954 USGS Sterling quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Sterling quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Messex quadrangle1:24000
- 1980 USGS Fort Morgan quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
44 since 2011Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 44 fires within 5 miles of Beta between 2011 and 2020, burning about 228 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 was 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 32 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 31 August 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 31 August 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 30 August 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 30 August 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 30 August 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | MERINO |
| 29 August 2016 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 29 August 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Merino Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
4 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Beta: 2 occurrences, 1 past producer, 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Fire Clay (Refractory), Copper. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Hoosier | Copper | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Occurrence | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | Gravel | |
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
1 since 2013Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Beta in 1 storm report in 2013: 1 flood. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2013 | Flood | Beta | $5,000,000 | The flood crest continued down the South Platte River and caused widespread flooding as it made its way into the communities of Merino, Atwood, Sterling, Illiff, Proctor and Crook. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for those communities threatened by record flooding. The preliminary damage assessment for Logan County indicated 180 residences were affected, with 15 homes completely destroyed. Another 18 homes suffered major damage while 57 had minor damage. There were also 15 mobile homes with minor damage, and 75 accessory structures or private property with minor damage. In addition, 73 miles of asphalt and dirt roads were compromised. All of the main bridges were compromised; eight state bridges and one county bridge. The Northeast Colorado Health Department implemented the closing of several facilities in the city of Sterling due to the damage of Sterling's wastewater system. All retail food, body art, childcare and pool facilities were closed until the system was back up and operating. The headworks facility for the waste water management system was shut down when it became clear the river would swamp the site. |
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 182873. 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.