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Simla, Colorado

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the Simla census division. It lies in ZIP code area 80835. The Survey maps it on the Simla quadrangle. 601 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,978 feet above sea level.

Simla within Elbert County

Population over time

2 figures

Simla fell from 618 to 601 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.

YearPeople Change
2010618
2020601-17 (-3%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 14 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.

Fires near this place

12 since 2010

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 12 fires within 5 miles of Simla between 2010 and 2018, burning about 4 acres in total. None started naturally. None 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/undetermined12

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreEl Paso CountyUNKNOWN
11 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreColorado State Forest Service-State Headquartersnot named
27 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreColorado State Forest Service-State HeadquartersSIMLA
30 June 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreColorado State Forest Service-State Headquartersnot named
17 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresColorado State Forest Service-State HeadquartersSIMLA
25 March 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresColorado State Forest Service-State HeadquartersSIMLA
10 March 2011Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreColorado State Forest Service-State HeadquartersSIMLA
19 February 2011Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreColorado State Forest Service-State HeadquartersSIMLA

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Elbert County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Simla: 3 producers, 2 occurrences. 3 still produce. What was taken out: 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.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrenceGravel
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrenceGravel

Every working recorded in Elbert County

Storms near this place

60 of 79 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Simla in 79 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 49 hail, 19 tornado, 8 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2023FloodSimla$50,000Heavy rain caused flooding and flash flooding which forced the closure of CO-86 at mile marker 44. Storm totals in the area ranged from 3.0 to 4.5 inches.
August 2024Flash FloodSimla-County Roads department has closed CR 117 from Highway 86 south to CR 90. Reed Springs Creek is over the road.
July 2023HailSimla-The hail broke the rear window of a vehicle, in addition to both side mirrors and an exterior light.
August 2023HailSimla-Xxxx.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindSimla-A home sustained some roof and window damage and an RV was blown on its side.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-Two tornadoes touched down in close proximity to one another, one of which was anticyclonic. Both occurred in open country so no damage was observed.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down in open country. No damage was observed.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A well defined tornado touched down in open country. No damage was observed.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down in open country. No damage was observed.
June 2015Tornado (EF1)Simla-A tornado touched down and destroyed a pole barn.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down for a short time but no damage was observed.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down briefly but did no damage.
June 2015Tornado (EF1)Simla-A well defined tornado touched down and produced some damage. Near U.S. Highway 24, tree branches 1 to 3 inches diameter were snapped. The tornado then strengthened to a magnitude EF1 tornado as it tracked south of the highway. Several hardwood trees were snapped near their trunks. A fuel tank was thrown and a barn damaged. In addition, a road sign was flattened at its base.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado with an anticyclonic rotation touched down briefly but did no damage.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down in open country. No damage was observed.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Simla-A well defined tornado touched down and produced some property damage at a farmstead. The home, barn and nearby outbuildings sustained damage. A power pole was also snapped about 5 feet above the ground.
June 2012Tornado (EF2)Simla-A tornado touched down and produced moderate to severe damage to numerous homes and other farm buildings in southern Elbert County. One person suffered minor injuries.
June 2010Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down briefly but did no damage.
May 2007Tornado (EF0)Simla-A tornado touched down but did no damage.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindSimla-Strong thunderstorm winds downed two power poles near the intersection of State Highway 86 and County Road 125 north of Simla.
May 2004Tornado (F0)Simla-A tornado touched down but did no damage.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindSimla-Strong thunderstorm winds downed power lines and a power pole.
May 2004Tornado (F2)Simla-A tornado touched down and severely damaged two farmsteads. The first farmstead was struck approximately 10 miles north-northwest of Simla. One tree was knocked over by the tornado. One cow was killed, another was severely injured and had to be destroyed. An unoccupied ranch house on a neighboring farmstead, about 11.5 miles north of Simla, was also destroyed. The tornado picked up the modular home and its contents, and dumped it about 500 feet away from the farmstead. In addition, a calving shed and a two story barn built in 1925 were destroyed. A pig, lamb and dog were killed. The twister also picked up and scattered a dozen trucks, farm vehicles and cars on the farmstead.
August 2004Tornado (F0)Simla-A tornado touched down but did no damage.
August 2004Tornado (F0)Simla-A multi-vortex tornado touched down but did no damage.
August 2004Tornado (F0)Simla-A tornado touched down but did no damage.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindSimla-Intense thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a shed.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindSimla-Intense thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a shed.
July 1997Flash FloodSimla-The active monsoon pattern continued to cause flooding and flash flooding problems as another 3 to 5 inches of rain fell on to already saturated soils. Two feet of water reportedly covered portions of roadway near Kiowa. Highwaters also forced the evacuation of several residents in Simla. Highway 86, between Simla and Limon, was closed due to highwaters. In addition, I-70 was closed west of Limon when a nearby stream overflowed its banks covering a portion of the interstate with mud and water. The floodwaters also washed out one of Limon's main water lines.
May 1993HailSimla-Thunderstorms produced hail up to golf ball-size between Colorado Springs and Limon.
September 2024Thunderstorm WindSimla-no account filed
June 2023HailSimla-no account filed
June 2023HailSimla-no account filed
July 2023HailSimla-no account filed
July 2023HailSimla-no account filed
July 2023Thunderstorm WindSimla-no account filed
June 2023HailSimla-no account filed
August 2023HailSimla-no account filed
June 2020Thunderstorm WindSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2019HailSimla-no account filed
June 2017HailSimla-no account filed
May 2015HailSimla-no account filed
June 2015HailSimla-no account filed
June 2015HailSimla-no account filed
June 2015HailSimla-no account filed
June 2015HailSimla-no account filed
June 2012HailSimla-no account filed
June 2011HailSimla-no account filed
July 2011HailSimla-no account filed
July 2011HailSimla-no account filed
June 2010HailSimla-no account filed
July 2010HailSimla-no account filed
June 2009HailSimla-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Elbert 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.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Matheson6.1 miles15
Beck Sand Draw Crossing8.1 miles12
Fondis14.9 miles11
Cedar Point18.0 miles15
Kutch19.6 miles13
Bijou20.3 miles14
Agate23.3 miles17
Elbert24.6 miles25

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 SimlaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2304135The 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 193219. 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.