BlockGrand Tower, Illinois
25 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1924 and the latest in 1994. It stands in Grand Tower Township. It lies in ZIP code area 62942. It lies near Backbone Ridge. The Survey maps it on the Gorham quadrangle. 479 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 358 feet above sea level.
On record in Grand Tower
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 1 record
Population over time
2 figuresGrand Tower fell from 605 to 479 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 | 605 | |
| 2020 | 479 | -126 (-21%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
14 surveys from 25 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.
- 1924 USGS Alto Pass quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1947 USGS Alto Pass quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1947 USGS Gorham quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1948 USGS Gorham quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Alto Pass quadrangle1:62500
- 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
- 1984 USGS Carbondale quadrangle1:100000
- 1986 USGS Carbondale quadrangle1:100000
- 1987 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
- 1994 USGS Gorham quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
65 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 65 fires within 5 miles of Grand Tower between 1992 and 2019, burning about 1,082 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 21 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 |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 21 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 19 |
| Debris and open burning | 11 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 4 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 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 2002 | Debris and open burning | 2.5 acres | Shawnee National Forest | SNAG PATCH 1 |
| 30 September 2002 | Debris and open burning | 7.5 acres | Shawnee National Forest | HALFMOON ISLAND |
| 30 September 2002 | Recreation and ceremony | 4.0 acres | Shawnee National Forest | KING'S FERRY |
| 30 September 2002 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Shawnee National Forest | DOUBLE SLOUGH |
| 30 September 2002 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Shawnee National Forest | SNAG PATCH 2 |
| 25 September 2006 | Natural | under an acre | Shawnee National Forest | OAK WOOD |
| 25 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 acres | Shawnee National Forest | ROUTE 3 |
| 24 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.5 acres | Shawnee National Forest | KINGS FERRY |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 12 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Grand Tower: 7 past producers, 4 occurrences, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Iron, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Fluorine-Fluorite. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Lead Occurence No. 1 | Lead | Occurrence | ||
| Umber Mine | Iron, Manganese | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Iron, Lead, Zinc | Prospect | ||
| Unknown | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Minor Fluorite Occurence No. 1 | Fluorine-Fluorite | Occurrence | ||
| Minor Fluorite Occurence No. 1 | Fluorine-Fluorite | Occurrence | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unnamed Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Gerler Bank | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Lawder Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
28 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Grand Tower in 28 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 11 flood, 10 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 1 funnel cloud. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2016 | Flood | Grand Tower | $1,000,000 | Mississippi River levels continued their climb from December, and record or near-record flooding occurred early in the month. The river gage at Thebes downriver in Alexander County crested at a new record of 47.74 feet on the 2nd. However, the river gage upriver at Chester in Randolph County did not break a record. A voluntary evacuation of the community of Grand Tower was requested, partly due to weaknesses in the levees along the Mississippi and Big Muddy Rivers. Grand Tower sits at the confluence of the Big Muddy and Mississippi Rivers. A Red Cross shelter was opened at Murphysboro. Illinois state highway department crews transported 50,000 sandbags and 100 rolls of plastic for stabilization of slides on a levee. Four state trucks were used to haul rock to low places that needed to be raised up. Illinois Route 3 was closed at the Randolph County line due to flooding. County leaders signed a disaster declaration for the county. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Grand Tower | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| January 2016 | Flood | Grand Tower | $250,000 | Major flooding of the Big Muddy River continued into January. At the Murphysboro river gage, the river crested at 36.11 feet before dawn on the 2nd. Flood stage there is 22 feet. At Murphysboro, floodwaters approached the flood level of 2008, when the river crested at 37.19 ft on March 23. A mobile home park, a few houses, and a church were flooded or threatened. Sandbagging was done around some affected structures. A Murphysboro couple was rescued by police and firefighters after they were trapped in their home by high water. Extensive flooding of low-lying fields occurred. The intersection of 3rd and Plum Streets in Murphysboro was closed. Floodwater covered the ground below an electrical substation. Slides or slumps developed along a portion of the levee near Grand Tower, prompting concerns about levee failure. Residents were asked to voluntarily evacuate a large area behind the levee. The situation around Grand Tower was heavily affected by backwater from the Mississippi River, which was near record high levels. |
| June 2019 | Flood | Grand Tower | $100,000 | Major flooding of the Mississippi River continued through the month of June. The county was included in a disaster proclamation issued by the governor. There was extensive flooding of low-lying farmland and woods. Numerous county roads were inundated. Levees began to show signs of stress due to the extended duration of the flood, which began in March. Sinkholes and sand boils developed along the levee protecting Grand Tower, which prompted emergency repairs. |
| July 2019 | Flood | Grand Tower | $50,000 | Major flooding of the Mississippi River gradually ended by late July. Flood-fighting efforts in the Grand Tower area were completed after the levees were fortified. Low-lying woods, farmland, and county roads remained underwater early in the month. More detailed damage assessments began after the river fell within its banks late in the month. |
| May 2019 | Flood | Grand Tower | $50,000 | The Mississippi River remained above flood stage through the month of May. There was considerable flooding of low-lying farmland and woods. Some county roads were inundated. Due to the extended duration of the flooding, levees began to show signs of stress. There was concern about the stability of the levees, and seepage became a problem. Some roads nearest the levees began to buckle. |
| May 2011 | Flood | Grand Tower | $50,000 | Major flooding continued on the Mississippi River from April. Based on data from a river gage in Alexander County, the flood crest of 2011 was among the five highest crests on record. A voluntary evacuation of the community of Grand Tower was requested, partly due to a leak in a levee along the Big Muddy River. Grand Tower sits at the confluence of the Big Muddy and Mississippi Rivers. |
| June 2011 | Flood | Grand Tower | $50,000 | The Mississippi River flooding in June was relatively minor compared to the April and May flooding. Several homes remained flooded, along with at least 10,000 acres of farmland. Standing water was observed on both sides of Route 3 in many areas. Several county roads remained closed. The Mississippi River remained too high to raise any of the locks and gates along the levees. As a result, the water from recent heavy rains as well as lingering floodwater from May remained trapped inland. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $20,000 | Downed trees and power lines occurred as a thunderstorm line moved through with over 1000 without power. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $15,000 | Multiple power poles were broken on Grand Tower Rd. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $10,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $6,000 | Tree limbs and power lines were down. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $4,000 | Trees were blown down. |
| January 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $3,000 | Trees were blown down. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | $2,000 | A power outage occurred due to thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2015 | Flood | Grand Tower | $2,000 | Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River continued from June into mid-July. Parts of Devil's Backbone Park in Grand Tower were underwater. |
| June 2015 | Flood | Grand Tower | $1,000 | Moderate flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Parts of Devil's Backbone Park in Grand Tower were underwater. The flooding continued into July. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | - | A trained spotter estimated winds gusted to 60 mph in Grand Tower. There was also pea-size hail. |
| August 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Grand Tower | - | A brief touchdown occurred in a field. No damage was observed. An eyewitness documented the tornado briefly touching down in a farm field east of Highway 3. The tornado was associated with a rapidly strengthening thunderstorm cell that moved east-southeast. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | - | A mesonet station measured a gust to 62 mph. |
| November 2019 | Hail | Grand Tower | - | The hailstones were photographed and posted on social media. |
| May 2017 | Flood | Grand Tower | - | There was major flooding along the Mississippi River early in the month. Extensive flooding of low-lying agricultural land and county roads in the flood plain was observed. |
| April 2017 | Flash Flood | Grand Tower | - | Many roads were closed around the county, mainly smaller back roads. |
| April 2011 | Flood | Grand Tower | - | Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. A voluntary evacuation of the community of Grand Tower was requested, partly due to a leak in a levee along the Big Muddy River. Grand Tower sits at the confluence of the Big Muddy and Mississippi Rivers. |
| April 2004 | Funnel Cloud | Grand Tower | - | Multiple reports of a funnel cloud were received with a supercell thunderstorm as it crossed the Mississippi River near Grand Tower. This storm had a history of funnel clouds and a tornado in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. |
| February 2017 | Hail | Grand Tower | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Grand Tower | - | no account filed |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Tower | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howardton | 1.8 miles | 25 | |
| Gorham | 6.4 miles | 25 | |
| Neunert | 7.1 miles | 28 | |
| Sand Ridge | 8.4 miles | 25 | |
| Jacob | 8.4 miles | 28 | |
| Poplar Ridge | 8.5 miles | 23 | |
| Pomona | 8.5 miles | 23 | |
| Grimsby | 8.9 miles | 19 |
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 Grand Tower | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q575557 | 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 409268. 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.