BlockPlains, Georgia
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Plains census division. It lies in ZIP code area 31780. The Survey maps it on the Plains quadrangle. 573 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 499 feet above sea level.
On record in Plains
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
Jimmy Carter National Historic Sitelisted 1987- Plains Historic Districtlisted 1984
Surveyed buildings and structures 12 of 28 shown
- Billy Carter Service Station, 216 West Church Street, Plainsfederal building survey, 4 photographs
- Carter Peanut Warehouse Complex, Plainsfederal building survey, 3 photographs
- Forrester General Store, Hudson & Main Streets, Plainsfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Jimmy Carter Boyhood Home, Commissary, Old Plains Highway (Lebanon Cemetery Road), Plainsfederal building survey, 5 photographs
- Jimmy Carter Boyhood Home, Old Plains Highway (Lebanon Cemetery Road), Plainsfederal building survey, 11 photographs
- Jimmy Carter Boyhood Home, Tenant House, Old Plains Highway (Lebanon Cemetery Road), Plainsfederal building survey, 5 photographs
- Jimmy Carter House, 209 Woodland Drive, Plainsfederal building survey, 6 photographs
- Jimmy Carter National Historic Site & Preservation District, Plainsfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Lillian & Earl Carter House, Georgia Route 280 between Walters & Thomas Streets, Plainsfederal building survey, 4 photographs
- Lunsford-French-Timmerman General Store, Main Street, Plainsfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Maranatha Baptist Church, Georgia Highway 49 near Hospital Street, Plainsfederal building survey, 4 photographs
- Matthew Edmund Rylander House, Old Plains Highway (near Highway 280), Plainsfederal building survey, 12 photographs
Population over time
2 figuresPlains fell from 776 to 573 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 | 776 | |
| 2020 | 573 | -203 (-26%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 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.
- 1955 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1973 USGS Plains quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1981 USGS Americus quadrangle1:100000
Photographs
8 of 40 photographs shown, 2017Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Every photograph of Sumter County
Fires near this place
131 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 131 fires within 5 miles of Plains between 1992 and 2020, burning about 509 acres in total. 13 started naturally. 7 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 | 74 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 14 |
| Natural | 13 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 7 |
| Smoking | 6 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 4 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2011-SUMTER-009 |
| 30 September 1999 | Smoking | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 1.1 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2020SUMTER017 |
| 25 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | 2.4 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2011-SUMTER-020 |
| 20 September 2004 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 20 September 2004 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 19 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2014-WEBSTER-001 |
| 16 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 3.5 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
15 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Plains in 15 storm reports between 1994 and 2022: 8 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 2 tornado, 1 lightning. The reports record 2 deaths and 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2007 | Tornado (EF3) | Plains | 2 killed, 8 hurt, $110,000,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia concluded that the EF3 tornado that first touched down in southeast Webster county continued to track northeast from the southwest to the northeast corner of Sumter county and then continued into extreme southern Macon county before finally lifting. The tornado tracked a total distance on the ground of approximately 40 miles. The tornado entered Sumter county about 4.75 miles southwest of Plains in southwest Sumter county and exited the northeast part of the county about 9 miles north of Methvins in northeast Sumter county. This was by far the most violent and devastating tornado of the March 1st outbreak. The tornado tracked roughly 32 miles across Sumter county with a maximum path width of 1.0 mile wide, which occurred in the Americus area. Damage within the city of Americus was extensive, although structures, trees, and power lines were down along the entire path of the tornado. The most significant damage in Americus was to the Sumter Regional Hospital, of which a significant portion was destroyed. Hundreds of homes and businesses in the Americus area were either totally destroyed or sustained significant damage. Hunderds of vehicles were also damaged or destroyed by debris and/or tossed about like matchsticks. The majority of the damage was within the vicinity of the Sumter Regional Hospital. Two deaths were reported at a home in Americus when a wall collapsed on a 43 year-old male and a 53-year old female. At least eight injuries were documented, but there may have been more.||Within the city of Americus, proper, there were 1235 total structures damaged or destroyed, including 217 businesses, 993 residences, 3 cemeteries, 10 churches, 1 fire station, 1 hospital, 8 recreational facilities/parks, and 2 schools. There were 75 structures (42 businesses, 31 residences, 1 hospital, 1 church) were destroyed. There were 148 structures (27 businesses, 116 residences, 3 recreational facilities/parks, 2 churches) with major damage. There were 331 structures (60 businesses, 260 residences, 3 recreational facilities/parks, 5 churches, 1 school, 2 cemeteries) with moderate damage and 681 structures (88 businesses, 586 residences, 2 recreational facilities/parks, 2 churches, 1 school, 1 cemetery, 1 fire station) with minor damage. |
| March 2011 | Hail | Plains | $182,000 | Several reports of large damaging hail, ranging in size from golf balls to baseballs, were received from the public and the Sumter County 911 Center from across the county. While the hail initially began as quarter-sized hail is it entered the northwestern part of the county north of Plains, it grew to golf ball and baseball size as it moved across Americus. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Plains | $140,000 | Employees of the U.S. Post Office in Plains Georgia reported that tennis ball-sized hail fell in the area. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $50,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and a few power lines blown down across the entire county from Friendship to Maddix, Americus, Leslie, Cobb and Methvins. |
| April 2009 | Tornado (EF1) | Plains | $5,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that a brief EF0 tornado touched down in western Sumter county near the Experimental Station on U.S. Highway 280, approximately one mile northeast of Plains, and tracked about one mile to the east-southeast before lifting. The tornado was determined to have a maximum path width of 200 yards with maximum winds estimated at 100 mph. Wind equipment at the Plains Research Center measured a wind gust of 110 mph as the tornado passed nearby. This was the second of three tornadoes to affect Sumter county during the late evening of April 10th and the early morning hours of April 11th. Damage along the tornado path was spotty with many downed trees. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $5,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that numerous trees and power lines were blown down from near Plains to five miles east of Friendship in the western part of the county. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $5,000 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that several trees were down at a number of locations in the southwest corner of the county, south of Plains. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $5,000 | A power pole and a few lines along with several large trees were downed by thunderstorm winds. |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $3,000 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that several trees were down in the area and the power was also out in Plains. |
| July 2000 | Lightning | Plains | $3,000 | The Sumter county 911 center reported lightning set a power pole on fire. |
| March 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $2,500 | The Middle Flint Regional E911 Center reported that several trees were blown down in Plains. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $2,000 | Two trees were downed in Plains. One at the Plains post office and the other near the intersection of Hwy 45 and Hwy 308. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Plains | $1,000 | Tree reported down blocking roadway near intersection of Bonds Trail Dr and Thrasher Rd. |
| May 2001 | Hail | Plains | - | The Sumter county 911 center reported dime size hail, although most of the hail observed was only pea size. |
| January 1997 | Hail | Plains | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon (historical) | 1.7 miles | 8 | |
| Magnolia Springs (historical) | 2.6 miles | 8 | |
| Bottsford | 4.4 miles | 7 | |
| New Point | 5.0 miles | 8 | |
| Thalean | 5.4 miles | 8 | |
| Croxton Crossroads | 6.3 miles | 7 | |
| Concord | 7.3 miles | 7 | |
| Myrtle Springs (historical) | 7.7 miles | 7 |
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 Plains | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q608527 | 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 356474. 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.
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.