BlockLarrabee, Iowa
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Cedar Township. It lies in ZIP code area 51029. The Survey maps it on the Cherokee North quadrangle. 123 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,362 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresLarrabee fell from 132 to 123 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 | 132 | |
| 2020 | 123 | -9 (-7%) |
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.
- 1954 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Fort Dodge quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Cherokee North quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Storm Lake quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
22 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 22 fires within 5 miles of Larrabee between 2006 and 2020, burning about 79 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 9 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Other causes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 September 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 14 September 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 12 September 2012 | Other causes | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 3 August 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 16 August 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 July 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | 3.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 July 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 May 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 14 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Larrabee: 11 past producers, 3 producers. 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hyndman and Freeman | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Jones Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Julius Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Killam Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Larabee | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Montgomery Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Rohlfsen Gravel Co | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
54 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Larrabee in 54 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 29 flood, 16 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2014 | Flood | Larrabee | $1,000,000 | Persistent heavy rains caused major flooding of the Little Sioux River. Much farmland, other lowlands, and roads near the river were flooded. Flooded and closed roads in the town of Cherokee included Main Street and U. S. Highway 59. Several homes and businesses were flooded, especially in basements. The river crested at 8.55 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on June 19th. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Larrabee | $250,000 | This tornado formed on the southeast fringes of Larrabee, just south of 455th Street. As the tornado crossed 455th Street, it quickly destroyed four silos, a shed and a chicken barn. The tornado traveled northeast over open fields before a few trees were snapped and the east wall of a barn was pulled away along R Avenue just south of 430th Street. The tornado exited Cherokee County around 4 miles south of Sutherland, one-half mile east of the intersection of Tyler Avenue and 420th Street. The tornado continued in O'Brien County for almost 4 miles before dissipating two miles southeast of Sutherland at 1711CST. The tornado was rated EF1 while in both Cherokee County and O'Brien County. The average path width in Cherokee County was 50 yards and the maximum estimated wind speed was 105 mph. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Larrabee | $100,000 | Heavy rain caused moderate to record flooding along the Little Sioux River, with lowlands including land and several roads near the river flooded. Several roads were flooded on the south side of the town of Cherokee, including U.S. Highway 59 which was under much water, the state Highway 3 bypass, and several other roads. Up to 200 people were evacuated from the south side of Cherokee, where several businesses were flooded, and where access was cut off to areas not flooded. The river rose very rapidly and crested at a record 10.3 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on June 27th, which was the day after the flooding began. |
| May 2013 | Flood | Larrabee | $50,000 | Heavy rain caused major to record flooding of the Little Sioux River. Farmland, parkland, and the basements or lower levels of numerous homes and several businesses were flooded. Several main roads and numerous secondary roads were flooded by the river. Main roads flooded included United States Highway 59 and Iowa Highway 3. Much of the area affected by the river flooding had also been affected by flash flooding more directly associated with the heavy rains. The river crested at a record 10.9 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on May 27th. |
| August 1994 | Hail | Larrabee | $50,000 | no account filed |
| October 2015 | Tornado (EF0) | Larrabee | $10,000 | A brief tornado tore most of the roof off a house. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Larrabee | $5,000 | A cold front moved southeast out of the Dakotas into Iowa during the late afternoon and evening hours. Parameters for severe weather were weak. The instability was there, but moisture, inflow, and shear were marginal. A mesoscale convective system developed over Minnesota during the afternoon hours. As the evening progressed, the storms developed toward the southwest. Eventually the complex overspread about the northeast two thirds of Iowa. Some severe weather was reported with the storms, but it was limited. Dime-size hail fell in the northwest counties of the state. In O'Brien County, golf ball-size hail fell at Sheldon. Some roof damage was reported there. Hail damage to property was minor, however many crops were damaged. Gusty winds were common with the storms, but there were few wind gusts reaching severe criteria. Minor damage was reported in Spencer as winds clocked at 60 mph blew through the city. |
| July 2024 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Flooding continued from June on the Little Sioux River at Cherokee, with declining river levels. The river fell below flood stage on the afternoon of July 7th. |
| May 2024 | Flood | Larrabee | - | The Little Sioux River at Cherokee rose above flood stage the morning of May 22nd, cresting around 1.38 feet above flood stage (18.38 feet) on May 22nd. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of May 28th. |
| May 2024 | Flood | Larrabee | - | The Little Sioux River near Cherokee rose above flood stage the evening of May 2nd, cresting around 3.98 feet above flood stage (20.98 feet) on May 10th. The river then fell below flood stage on the afternoon of May 15th. |
| June 2024 | Flood | Larrabee | - | The Little Sioux River at Cherokee rose above flood stage the morning of June 21st, cresting around 16.47 feet above flood stage (33.47 feet) on June 24th. The crest value was determined using a high water mark due to a river gauge outage. This crest is in the Major Stage and broke the previous record. Significant flooding was observed within the city of Cherokee itself. The river stayed above flood stage into July. For a more comprehensive description of flood damage, please see other entries for Cherokee County. |
| June 2019 | Flood | Larrabee | - | A continuation of flooding from May, the Little Sioux River at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) began the month at 3.70 feet above flood stage. Significant amounts of agricultural land remained flooded, and further impeded spring planting. |
| May 2019 | Flood | Larrabee | - | The Little Sioux River at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) reached a peak of 3.52 feet above flood stage at the end of the month. The main impact was inundation of agricultural land, which further delayed spring planting. Minor flooding continued at the end of the month. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Snow melt and heavy rainfall (measured 1.67 inches at Cherokee) resulted in significant flooding of agricultural lands and numerous state, county and township roads. The Little Sioux River at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) reached the highest stage on record cresting 11.40 feet above flood stage on March 14. |
| April 2018 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Upstream runoff of snow melt and rainfall brought flooding to the lower portions of the Little Sioux River in late April. The flooding near Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) was minor with impacts limited to near river agricultural areas. The river crested in minor flood stage (0.7 feet above flood stage) on April 28. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Larrabee | - | Several three inch diameter tree limbs broken by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2018 | Flood | Larrabee | - | The month opened with moderate flooding at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) at 6.2 feet above flood stage on July 1. Numerous roads including U.S. Highway 59 near Cherokee were inundated and closed for several days. Significant amounts of crop and pasture land near the Little Sioux River were severely impacted by flooding. |
| September 2018 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Rainfall throughout the Little Sioux Basin during the period of September 18-21 totaled generally 4 to 8 inches, resulting in major flooding. Numerous roads accessing Cherokee were closed due to flooding, including U.S. Highway 59, old highway 5, east Main Street, and county roads C-38 and C-44. Many businesses in the south and southeast portions of Cherokee were flooded. The Little Sioux River at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) crested at 10.0 feet above flood stage on September 21. The river remained in minor flood at the end of the month. |
| June 2018 | Flood | Larrabee | - | A week of prolific rainfall ending June 26 resulted in a widespread 4 to 7 inches of rainfall, much of which occurred on June 20 and 24. Specific weekly totals included 3.65 east of Sioux Rapids, 4.00 at Cherokee, 4.90 north of Cleghorn, 4.03 at Spencer and 6.70 near Everly. Major flooding occurred with significant amounts of crop and pasture land inundated, as well as city parks in Cherokee. Several roads in Cherokee were damaged by water, and continued closed until the end of the month as the river crested at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) at 7.5 feet above flood stage on June 26. A second crest of 7.4 feet above flood stage occurred on June 29, and the river remained in moderate flood stage at the end of the month. |
| May 2018 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Rainfall was relentless over the first two weeks of May, totaling a widespread 3 to 5 inches in the upper and middle portions of the Little Sioux Basin, including 5.01 inches at Lake Park, 4.85 inches 4 miles northwest of Milford, 4.69 inches in Spirit Lake, 3.95 inches near Everly, 3.48 inches at Cherokee and 3.20 inches at Spencer. Minor flooding of generally agricultural lands occurred as the river crested at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) 0.8 feet above flood stage on May 17. The river dropped below flood stage on May 18. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Larrabee | - | A continuation of flooding from September, river levels on the Little Sioux River at Cherokee (gage site CHKI4) continued to fall in early October. Impacts were limited to minor agricultural flooding. |
| August 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Larrabee | - | Tornado resulted in minor crop and tree damage. |
| April 2016 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Runoff from repeated rains caused minor flooding of agricultural land along the Little Sioux River. The river reached a peak stage 1.1 feet above flood stage at Cherokee near the end of the month. |
| May 2016 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Minor flooding because of runoff from repeated April rains continued to affect agricultural land along the Little Sioux River. The river crested at 2.83 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on May 4th. |
| October 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Larrabee | - | A brief tornado caused no reported damage. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Larrabee | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including branches up to 3 inches in diameter blown down. The winds were accompanied by small hail which covered the ground. |
| February 2011 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Melting snow and resulting runoff caused minor flooding along the Little Sioux River, with unused lowlands mainly affected. The river crested at 1.3 feet above flood stage at Cherokee late on February 18th. |
| June 2011 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Minor to moderate flooding of the Little Sioux River resulted from runoff caused by heavy rain. Lowlands including some farmland along the river were flooded. The river crested at 3.9 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on June 27th. |
| July 2011 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Major flooding of the Little Sioux River resulted from runoff caused by heavy rain. Considerable farmland, other lowlands, and several roads were flooded. Roads closed due to flooding included U.S. Highway 59 near Cherokee, and Main Street in Cherokee. The river crested at 5.7 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on July 19th. |
| August 2010 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Minor to moderate flooding along the Little Sioux River continued as August began, but abated by late on August 2nd. Flooding affected mainly agricultural land along the river. |
| August 2010 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Heavy rain caused minor to moderate flooding along the Little Sioux River, with farmland and some other lowlands flooded. The river crested at 2.30 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on August 12th. |
| March 2010 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Rapid melting of a heavy winter snowpack resulted in major flooding of the Little Sioux River. Fields and other lowlands as well as roads near the river were flooded, including part of U.S. Highway 59 on the south side of the town of Cherokee. The Little Sioux River crested at 6.83 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on March 18th. |
| July 2010 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Heavy rain caused moderate flooding along the Little Sioux River, with lowlands including some agricultural land and several roads along the river flooded. The flooding was less severe than the flooding in June, with the river cresting at 4.65 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on July 31st. |
| February 2009 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Flooding, mostly minor, along the Little Sioux River, resulted from the melting of snow. The flooding was aggravated by ice jams in and near the town of Cherokee, resulting in the flooding of city parks. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Heavy rain caused continued minor flooding of farmland along the Little Sioux River. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Larrabee | - | Large hail, accompanied by damaging winds, damaged crops. The amount of crop damage was not known. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Larrabee | - | Thunderstorm winds, accompanied by large hail, damaged trees and crops. The amount of crop damage was not known. |
| May 2007 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Heavy rain caused flooding along the Little Sioux River. The river peaked at 3.2 feet above flood stage at Cherokee on May 7th.| |
| March 2007 | Flood | Larrabee | - | Warm temperatures caused a rapid snowmelt which caused the Little Sioux River to rise above flood stage for several days. The flooding vwas light to moderate, and no significant damage was reported. The river crested at 3.5 feet above flood stage on March 21st. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Larrabee | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| August 2017 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Larrabee | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Larrabee | - | 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.
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 Larrabee | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1930328 | 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 458234. 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.