BlockBlantons Mill, Georgia
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Vaughn census division. It lies in ZIP code area 30292. It stands on Flat Creek. The Survey maps it on the Hollonville quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 9 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 Atlanta quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Atlanta quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Atlanta quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Hollonville quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1979 USGS Griffin quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
200 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 200 fires within 5 miles of Blantons Mill between 1992 and 2019, burning about 642 acres in total. 12 started naturally. 20 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 | 131 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 20 |
| Natural | 12 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 10 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 9 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 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 2001 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2002-FAYETTE-001 |
| 27 September 2019 | Natural | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2020SPALDING002 |
| 27 September 1998 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 24 September 2005 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 23 September 2004 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2018 | Debris and open burning | 25 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2019PIKE001 |
| 2 September 1992 | Debris and open burning | 2.9 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 1999 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Blantons Mill: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Griffin Granite Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Griffin Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
13 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Blantons Mill in 13 storm reports between 2005 and 2025: 6 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 1 flash flood. The reports record 2 deaths and 18 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 (EF3) | Blantons Mill | 2 killed, $25,000,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF3 tornado that first touched down in northeast Meriwether county around 1155 pm EDT continued into western Spalding county. The tornado entered Spalding county approximately three miles south of Digbey, then continued northeast across the communities of Vaughn, Birdie, and Sunny Side before moving into southern Henry county and then lifting just across the Henry county line, approximately two miles south of Hampton. Approximately 15.6 miles of the near 20-mile long path of this EF3 tornado were within Spalding county. The total path length of the tornado within Spalding county was approximately 15.6 miles. The path width remained at 1/2 mile wide with maximum winds estimated to be 140 mph. Two fatalities were recorded in Spalding county in the southwest part of the county, southwest of Vaughn, as a result of this tornado. These deaths occurred when a mobile home was overturned and destroyed. Within Spalding county there were 400 structures affected including 45 homes and/or businesses destroyed, 280 with major damage, and 75 with minor damage. Thousands of trees and dozens of power lines were down along the entire path of the tornado. The tornado crossed both Georgia Highway 16, Georgia Highway 92, and U.S. Highway 19/41 on its path across the county. Along Georgia Highway 92, just one mile east of the Flint River and the Fayette county line, trees were completely flattened within a 1/4 mile wide area on both sides of the road. Several commercial businesses were destroyed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19/41 and School Road, just south of the Henry county line.||[04/27-04/28/11: Tornado #11, County #2-3, EF3, Meriwether-Spalding-Henry, 2011:020]. |
| January 2023 | Tornado (EF3) | Blantons Mill | 18 hurt | New high-resolution areal imagery in concert with a reanalysis of radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys it has been determined that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in southwest Spalding and Northwestern Pike Counties as well as crossing tornado paths. The tornadoes were part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado. Our analysis determined that this tornado would become the dominant circulation which impacted Griffin and much of Spalding County and Southern Henry County. The tornado first touched down in Northwest Pike County along HWY 362 west of Irish Hill Drive where a few trees were snapped and uprooted and quickly increased in intensity to EF1 as it crossed Kings Bridge Road, Huff Creek Rd and Scott Road where numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. As the storm crossed Blanton Mill Road more severe damage was noted both on the ground and areal survey and it was determined that EF2 damage was present in the area around Nunnally Rd and Bethany Road where widespread snapping of trees occurred and a few structures were severely damaged. However, the updated analysis shows that this area also experienced crossing tornado paths both from this tornado and another which struck the area approximately 2 minutes later. The combination of the 2 paths likely resulted in more intense damage indicators. As the storm continued north into southern Spalding County, the circulation briefly weakened causing only sporadic low end EF0 damage northward along Scott Barch Road. It should also be noted that this circulation would pass into southern Spalding County along Scott Barch Road just 2 minutes ahead of another EF1 tornado to cross its path coming in from the west. The tornado continued north crossing Scott Barch Road and uprooting trees in an area south of Blanton Mill Road. Per both radar data and damage on the ground the tornado would pivot within the larger mesocyclone in an area north of Blanton Mill and begin its track east crossing Rover Zetlla Road destroying a barn. It was near this point the tornado and the wind damage would significantly increase as the tornado was intensifying rapidly. The tornado would quickly reach peak intensity of 150-155 mph and several homes were completely destroyed along Kendall Drive and West Road. 2 homes in particular were noted to be completely destroyed down to the foundation however further inspection of the homes revealed that the walls were not anchored fully anchored into the concrete thus a higher rating could not be determined from those homes. The resident of one of those homes rode out the storm in his bathtub, however the bathtub and all plumbing fixtures were torn away from the slab and tossed into the nearby woods. The survivor of the home was miraculously uninjured and got out to help neighbors. Further west along Kendall Drive several homes were also completely destroyed with several others suffering major damage thus the EF3 rating. The damage along West Road in particular garnered a slight upgrade in the wind speed to high end EF3 damage per a reanalysis. Major to severe damage was also noted along Maloy Road, Hwy 16, areas around Griffin High School, The club at Shoal Creek and North Pine Hill Road. As the tornado approached Hwy 19, per UGA faculty, the UGA facility at Dempsey Farm recorded a wind speed of 81.1 mph before the anemometer/wind combo instrument blew off the tower. The tornado continued ENE through the community of Experiment to the NW of the town of Griffin crossing HWY 92 where numerous business and homes suffered damage either from wind or fallen trees consistent with EF0 through EF1 damage. A weather instrument on the south end of the tornado swath at the UGA Griffin Campus recorded a 73.9 mph wind gust as the storm passed by. Damage in the area was consistent with EF0 type wind damage. The tornado struck a Hobby Lobby building in an around Experiment St and Hwy 92 which suffered severe damage to the roof, and exterior walls on the northeast side. Damage to the building was consistent with EF2 winds of approximately 130 mph. The tornado continued Northeast through the northside of Griffin with mostly EF0-EF1 type wind damage. Pockets of more severe damage were noted along Northside Drive and McIntosh Road consistent with high end EF1 damage. The tornado continued northeast crossing Smoak Road and N. McDonough road where it was noted both on the ground and from the air that the circulation weakened and the damage become more sporadic in nature particularly the area from Amelia rd eastward to I75 in southern Henry County. Once the circulation crossed I75 intensity of the tornado increased to a mid to high end EF1 with damage in the city of Locust Grove. The tornado crossed LG Griffin Road where it impacted numerous homes in a subdivision and snapped or uprooted trees. The storm crossed Stanley K Tanger Road and through another neighborhood affecting several homes including some high end EF1 damage. As the storm crossed Hwy 23 numerous trees were snapped or uprooted and a new TDS appeared on radar. The tornado continued NE across Jackson St, Grove Park Drive, Skyland Dr, S. Unity Grove Road and S Ola grove road snapping and uprooting trees as well as causing EF0 or in some cases EF1 damage to homes. The storm continued ENE snapping and uprooting trees through Peaksville Road where it shortly thereafter become less defined and eventually merged with the circulation/tornado ongoing to the south in the Jenkinsburg area. |
| February 2009 | Tornado (EF2) | Blantons Mill | $825,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the tornado that initially touched down in Meriwether county, then tracked across southern Coweta county, crossed into Spalding county approximately four miles east-northeast of Haralson or 7 miles west of Zetella. The tornado remain an EF2 as it tracked across southwest and into south central Spalding county, lifting just shy of the Pike county line about five miles west of Rover. Extensive damage was observed along the track of the tornado Four homes were completely destroyed and 40 others sustained minor to moderate damage. Dozens of trees were also down along the path of the tornado. The tornado tracked roughly five miles with southern Spalding county with a maximum path width of one mile and maximum winds of 120 mph. |
| May 2021 | Flash Flood | Blantons Mill | $20,000 | The Emergency Manager reported a road washed out near Line Creek Road and Blanton Mill Road due to high water on the Flint River and Flat Creek. Radar estimates indicate that 2.5 to 4 inches of rain occurred over the area, resulting in the flash flooding. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blantons Mill | $3,000 | An off duty National Weather Service employee from Peachtree City, Georgia observed that numerous trees were twisted off in the general area around the Flint River and Georgia Highway 16. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blantons Mill | $2,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center relayed a report of four trees down on power lines in the northern part of the county. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blantons Mill | $1,000 | The Emergency Manager relayed a report of a tree down in the 7600 block of Highway 16 and Newnan Road. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blantons Mill | $1,000 | Powerlines down at the intersection of line creek and hollonville road. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blantons Mill | $1,000 | The Spalding County 911 Center reported a few trees and power lines down near Highway 16 and Fairview Road. |
| April 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | Blantons Mill | - | The tornado continued|ENE into Spalding county crossing Hollonville Road, Fairview|Road, and Hardy Road uprooting and snapping several trees. |
| January 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Blantons Mill | - | New high resolution areal imagery in concert with a reanalysis of radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys it has been determined that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in southwest Spalding and Northwestern Pike Counties as well as crossing tornado paths. The tornadoes were part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado. Our analysis determined that this tornado spun up near the center of the main mesocylone as it crossed the Flint River in SW Spalding County. The first evidence of a tornado touching down appear along Blanton Mill Road where several trees were uprooted. This tornado would become caught within the larger circulation and swing SE around the center through mostly wooded or swampy areas of SW Spalding County. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in a path that that tracks ESE until it reaches Scott Barch Road. It is in this area it crosses the path of a tornado which passes approximately 2 minutes early moving NE on the eastern periphery of the larger mesocyclone. Low end EF1 damage occurred to a barn in this area, however, it could have occurred with the first tornado. Numerous trees are uprooted or snapped in this area as well. The tornado continued ESE crossing Flat Creek causing mid range EF1 damage to trees. It is noted per areal imagery and radar data that as the tornado approached Yarborough Rd and Shackleford Road it become absorbed/merged with a larger stronger circulation/tornado moving to the NE. Damage on the ground in this area is indicative of tornadoes coming in from 2 different directions. The particular circulation is terminated at this point as the larger more dominate tornado continues NE toward a rock quarry along Rover Zetalla Road. It should also be noted that EF2 damage occurred shortly after these 2 tornadoes merged near Yarborough Road but will be attributed to the more dominate circulation. |
| January 2023 | Tornado (EF2) | Blantons Mill | - | New high resolution areal imagery in concert with a reanalysis of radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys it has been determined that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in southwest Spalding and Northwestern Pike Counties as well as crossing tornado paths. The tornadoes were part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado. This particular tornado was spinning up in extreme SW Spalding County near Holonville Road and the Flint River as the EF2 tornado crossing Meriweather County into NW Pike was weaking and winding down. The particular tornado first showed a debris signature on radar in a marshy area near the flint River east of Holonville Road. Areal satellite imagery and newly acquired information from a homeowner along Huff Creek Road confirm the track continued east just north of Huff Creek Road snapping and uprooting hundreds of trees. The tornado Crossed Hancock Road as a high end EF 1 before reaching Blanton Mill Road where several outbuildings were destroyed, a home was damaged and hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped. As the tornado continued east toward Nunnally Road it was noted that the tornado which would become the Griffin Tornado had crossed approximately 2 minutes prior and as this tornado approached that area. Damage in the Nunnally Road area is consistent with multiple circulations crossing this region. Also as this EF1 tornado reached the Nunnally/Bethany Road area, a strong surge in wind can be seen on radar rotating ENE around the larger mesocyclone and catching this tornado in this region. The particular tornado would be not only becoming part of that wind surge but also merge with an EF1 tornado sinking ESE out of Spalding County approximately at the Spalding/Pike county line in and around the Yarborough Mill Road region. This tornado would become the dominate circulation per radar analysis thus this track is continued ENE. As the EF1 tornado merges from the WNW, this tornado increases to max intensity of EF2 in and around the Yarborough Mill Road and Crystal Creek Drive area where several structures were severely damaged or destroyed in addition to hundreds of trees snapped and uprooted. Per damage analysis from imagery, this merging which occurred likely resulted in the increased intensification of the tornado to EF2 in this region. The tornado continued eastward toward a large rock quarry along Rover Zetella Road. The tornado snapped trees up to the Rock Quarry however, it appears that due to the size of the quarry, the tornado redeveloped on the N side of the quarry along Rover Zetalla Road and continued east before resuming a northward path. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted wet of Candler Road north across North Rover Road,Agape Avenue and Bethel Lane. Numerous homes sustained everything from minor to moderate damage in this area consistent with EF0 to EF1 winds. This particular tornado continued north toward the stronger EF3 tornado occurring simultaneously ultimately absorbing this tornado into the circulation in the area around Maloy road. Due to the scope of the damage and the width, the exact location and the damage attribution (which tornado caused which damage) becomes difficult to discern even with the imagery. As a result, the exact width is an estimate due to the challenges of determining where one tornado damage swath ended and where another one started. The one thing that can be certain is that the vorticies/tornadoes did merge near or just after the EF3 damage occurred. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blantons Mill | - | Report of a tree down across Newnan Rd. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zetella | 3.1 miles | 9 | |
| Vaughn | 4.7 miles | 9 | |
| Rio | 5.0 miles | 9 | |
| Valdo (historical) | 5.1 miles | 9 | |
| Rover | 5.4 miles | 9 | |
| Esmond | 6.2 miles | 9 | |
| Burdett (historical) | 8.0 miles | 9 | |
| Birdie | 8.3 miles | 9 |
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.
| Wikidata item Q122571821 | 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 326187. 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.