BlockGrand Chain, Illinois
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1920 and the latest in 1987. It stands in Grand Chain precinct. It lies in ZIP code area 62941. The Survey maps it on the Cypress quadrangle. It stands 394 feet above sea level.
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 18 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.
- 1920 USGS Dongola quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1923 USGS Dongola quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1950 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
- 1954 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1964 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1966 USGS Cypress quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:100000
- 1986 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:100000
- 1987 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
Fires near this place
9 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 9 fires within 5 miles of Grand Chain between 1993 and 2010, burning about 60 acres in total. None 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 | 6 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Debris and open burning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 August 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 9.7 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 6 March 2009 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 1616 |
| 6 March 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 24 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | CACHE |
| 1 February 1993 | Equipment and vehicle use | 25 acres | Shawnee National Forest | not named |
| 8 November 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge | LONG REACH |
| 11 November 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge | NORMANDY |
| 30 October 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | FALCONER |
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 Grand Chain: 1 occurrence, 1 plant. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Fire Clay (Refractory), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Stone Plant #15 & Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Shawnee Low Interest Refractory Clay Deposit | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Occurrence | Sedimentary |
Storms near this place
28 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Grand Chain in 28 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 15 flood, 4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2003 | Tornado (F4) | Grand Chain | 1 killed, 13 hurt, $3,500,000 | This violent tornado began near Grand Chain and reached its maximum intensity of 210 MPH as it neared the Massac County line. A 53-year-old man was killed when the chimney of his house collapsed on him. The man, who was in his basement, was protecting his son by lying on top of him when the collapse occurred. The son received broken bones. Their house was impaled by some nearby large trees that prevented it from being swept farther away. Along the Pulaski County portion of the tornado path, six single family homes and ten mobile homes were destroyed. Another ten single family homes and a mobile home had major damage. A few dozen other residences received some type of minor damage. A few dozen outbuildings, two businesses, and a campground were destroyed or had major damage. Approximately 13 persons were injured, but only a few of those required hospitalization. All roads in the damage area were impassable due to large numbers of trees and building debris on them. Many of the tornado victims in this county had no insurance on their residences. The area of most intense destruction was along Tick Ridge Road, a state road that follows a ridge above the Ohio River. |
| February 2011 | Flash Flood | Grand Chain | $70,000 | Two bridges were washed out. One of the bridges was on a main street in Olmsted, and the other was on a secondary road. Three to four inches of water covered State Route 37 at the Johnson County line. Warning signs were posted to alert motorists. Water was over a couple of other roads in the Olmsted and Grand Chain areas. A spotter reported storm-total rainfall of about three inches, of which two inches fell in the past twelve hours. |
| May 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | New Grand Chain | $30,000 | The tornado was very weak as it touched down along the Ohio River. In this area, trees were uprooted, and a few trees were snapped. At a campground east of Grand Chain, several campers were damaged, and one was overturned. Peak winds were estimated near 70 mph. The tornado remained weak as it crossed into Massac County. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | New Grand Chain | $5,000 | An outbuilding was destroyed on Brushy Road off of Highway 37 southeast of New Grand Chain. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Chain | $2,000 | The roof of a dugout at a softball field was blown off. |
| February 2018 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | The Ohio River rose above flood stage around mid-month and continued rising through the end of the month. Low-lying county roads were flooded. Agricultural bottomland was inundated. |
| March 2018 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | The Ohio River rose above flood stage on the 30th and continued rising through the end of the month. The flooding during late March was minor. |
| July 2015 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding continued along the Ohio River from late June through most of July. The flooding inundated mainly agricultural bottomland and surrounding low-lying areas. |
| February 2013 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Low-lying woods and fields, as well as riverside access roads, were inundated. |
| July 2013 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River near Grand Chain. Low-lying fields, woodlands, and river access roads were flooded. |
| January 2013 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River near Grand Chain. Some low-lying parks and woodlands near the river were underwater. |
| April 2010 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred around Grand Chain. Some low-lying fields and river access points were under water. |
| January 2010 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding occurred on the Ohio River. At the Grand Chain gage, the river crested at 47.90 feet on the 29th. Flood stage there is 42 feet. Some low-lying fields near the river were inundated. Water reached the power house at Lock and Dam 53. The river remained above flood stage into early February. |
| February 2010 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. After cresting in late January, the river rose slowly again in early February. At the Grand Chain gage, the river crested a second time at 44.30 feet on the 11th. This was lower than the January crest by almost four feet. Flood stage is 42 feet. Some bottomland fields and river boat launches were under water. |
| March 2010 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred at Grand Chain. At the Grand Chain river gage, where flood stage is 42 feet, the river crested at 45.20 feet on the 23rd. Low-lying fields and woodlands near the river were flooded. Some flooding of river access roads occurred. The river remained well above flood stage through the end of the month, cresting a second time at 44.90 feet on the 31st. |
| February 2008 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | The Ohio River crested at 44.70 feet at Grand Chain Lock and Dam on the 19th. Flood stage is 42 feet. Minor flooding of low-lying bottomlands and fields occurred. |
| March 2008 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Major flooding of the Ohio River occurred. At the Grand Chain gage, the river crested at 54.40 feet on March 26. Flood stage there is 42 feet, and major flooding begins at 53 feet. Water reached the power house at Lock and Dam 53. Large areas of agricultural land were flooded. Spring planting was not yet underway, so crop losses were negligible. |
| May 2008 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred. At Grand Chain, the river crested at 42.5 feet. Flood stage there is 42 feet. Bottomland fields along the river were flooded. |
| January 2007 | Flood | Grand Chain | - | At Grand Chain, where flood stage is 42 feet, the Ohio River crested at 44.4 feet on the 16th. This resulted in minor flooding. Bottomland fields and woodlands were flooded, along with some remote access roads. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Chain | - | Several trees were blown down. |
| April 2011 | Flood | New Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Funnel Cloud | Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| February 2007 | Hail | Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Funnel Cloud | Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Grand Chain | - | no account filed |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Chain | - | 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.
| Wikidata item Q33439554 | 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 422272. 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.