Thebes, Illinois

22 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1934 and the latest in 1996. It stands in Thebes precinct. It lies in ZIP code area 62990. It stands on Sammons Creek. The Survey maps it on the Thebes quadrangle. 208 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 341 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Thebes within Alexander County

On record in Thebes

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

Thebes Courthouselisted 1972

Population over time

2 figures

Thebes fell from 436 to 208 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	436
2020	208	-228 (-52%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

14 surveys from 22 printed sheets

Matched 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.

1934 USGS Thebes quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
1939 USGS Thebes quadrangle1:62500
1949 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1950 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
1954 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1955 USGS Thebes quadrangle1:62500
1961 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1964 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1966 USGS Thebes quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
1984 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:100000
1986 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:100000
1987 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
1993 USGS Thebes quadrangle1:24000
1996 USGS Thebes quadrangle1:24000

Fires near this place

27 since 1997

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 27 fires within 5 miles of Thebes between 1997 and 2020, burning about 261 acres in total. None started naturally. 5 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	9
Debris and open burning	8
Arson/incendiarism	5
Power generation/transmission/distribution	2
Recreation and ceremony	2
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
6 September 2006	Debris and open burning	2.5 acres	Shawnee National Forest	MUD PUPPY
9 August 2018	Recreation and ceremony	under an acre	Shawnee National Forest	BEAN RIDGE
29 August 2017	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Shawnee National Forest	SEXTON CREEK
8 May 2018	Arson/incendiarism	90 acres	Shawnee National Forest	REIMAN
5 April 2007	Railroad operations and maintenance	under an acre	Shawnee National Forest	GALE FIRE
3 April 2011	Power generation/transmission/distribution	5.0 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	BEAN
25 April 2014	Power generation/transmission/distribution	under an acre	Shawnee National Forest	GALE
19 April 2005	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	47 acres	Shawnee National Forest	REIMANN ROAD

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Alexander County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 14 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Thebes: 5 past producers, 4 prospects, 2 producers, 2 occurrences. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Diatomite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 3	Silica	Occurrence
Birk No. 3 Mine	Diatomite	Prospect
Birk No.3 Mine	Diatomite	Prospect
Ellis Porperty	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Marquette Clay Pit	Clay	Producer
Miss.River Shale Exposure	Clay	Prospect
Unk	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Grays Point Quarry #2 & Mill	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Limestone Prospect	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Occurrence
Thebes Sandstone Deposit	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Prospect

Every working recorded in Alexander County

Storms near this place

60 of 61 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Thebes in 61 storm reports between 1999 and 2024: 53 flood, 4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 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 2019	Flood	Thebes	$2,000,000	Major flooding continued on the Mississippi River through the month of June. After rising above flood stage in mid March, the Mississippi River remained above flood stage through the spring and into early summer. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at 43.66 feet on June 10. This is considered a major flood. Major flooding starts at 42 feet. The East Cape Girardeau area was particularly hard hit, with some residences flooded for weeks. The Route 146 bridge connecting Illinois and Missouri at Cape Girardeau was closed due to flooding on the Illinois side of Route 146. Illinois Route 3 was flooded and closed for an extended period of time from Thebes north to East Cape Girardeau. A break in the Len Small Levee that occurred during the record flood of 2016 was not adequately repaired. This prolonged major flood enlarged the break in the levee, causing large parts of the Miller City area to flood. Several evacuated families were unable to reach their homes due to the flooding and road washouts. In the Miller City area, large sections of roads were washed away. The county highway engineer estimated damage to roads was well over one million dollars. A sewage plant at Thebes was inundated with floodwater and shut down, causing the community to be without sewer services. The Thebes Landing area of town was flooded. There was widespread flooding of low-lying farmland and woods across the county. Since some crop planting was not possible due to prolonged spring flooding, direct crop losses were reduced. The extended duration of the flooding caused levees to become unstable, and seepage became a problem. The governor of Illinois issued a disaster proclamation for the affected counties along the river.
January 1999	Tornado (F2)	Thebes	$150,000	no account filed
May 2017	Flood	Thebes	$100,000	Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River early in the month. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at 43.18 feet on the 6th. Flood stage is 33 feet. The river remained above flood stage for the entire month. There was extensive flooding of low-lying agricultural land, riverside parks, and river access roads. Residents of small communities such as Thebes and Gale were forced to evacuate or use boats to access their homes. Most roads leading to riverfront property were cut off by floodwaters. Some basements were flooded. The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River to all vessel traffic to protect the integrity of levees, especially the Len Small Levee. This levee was broken during the record 2016 flood. Backwater flooding along tributary creeks affected many areas, including the inland community of McClure. Flooded streets in McClure impacted several families, who needed a boat to safely reach their homes.
June 2011	Flood	Thebes	$100,000	The Mississippi River remained above flood stage through the month of June. At the Thebes river gage, there were two separate crests. The river crested at 37.53 feet on the 1st and at 37.43 feet on the 23rd. Both of these crests represented moderate flooding. Though the flooding in June was considerably less severe than the preceding two months, a small number of homes and businesses remained underwater from East Cape Girardeau to the Miller City area, including McClure. Illinois Route 3 was on the verge of being closed, as was Illinois Route 146 near the Cape Girardeau bridge. Businesses near the intersection of Highways 3 and 146 remained flooded. Other buildings remained sandbagged, and at least one house's foundation was compromised. 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 2019	Flood	Thebes	$50,000	After rising above flood stage in mid-March, the Mississippi River remained above flood stage through the remainder of the spring. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at 41.83 feet on May 8. However, the river started rising again late in the month. The May crest fell just a little shy of the major flooding category, which starts at 42 feet. A sewage plant at Thebes was inundated with flood water and was shut down, causing the community to be without sewage services. The Thebes Landing area of town was flooded. There was considerable flooding of low-lying farmland and woods. Some county roads were inundated. Since crop planting was not possible in areas that had been flooded all spring, direct crop losses were not high. 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.
April 2011	Flood	Thebes	$50,000	Major flooding was in progress on the Mississippi River by the end of the month. The river continued rising into early May. There were voluntary evacuations of communities outside of levee protection systems, such as Olive Branch. The communities of Tamms, Olive Branch, and Miller City were isolated by floodwaters. Many homes in those communities were sandbagged, but most of the homes ended up being flooded. Lower portions of the community of Thebes were inundated. The National Guard was requested to assist with sandbagging residences. A water main break caused interruptions in the drinking water supply.
June 2013	Flood	Thebes	$40,000	Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near Thebes. There was extensive flooding of low-lying agricultural land, riverside parks, and river access roads. Many farmers had not yet planted due to the prolonged spring flooding, so crop losses were minimal. The river crested at 43.62 feet on the Thebes river gage on the 7th. Flood stage there is 33 feet.
April 2019	Flood	Thebes	$20,000	no account filed
May 2013	Flood	Thebes	$10,000	Continuing from April into May, moderate flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at 39.6 feet early on the morning of the 6th. This was almost 7 feet above flood stage. There was considerable flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands near the river, including riverside parks and access roads.
March 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Thebes	$8,000	Trees and power lines were downed.
October 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Thebes	$4,000	Trees were down along Highway 3.
April 2013	Flood	Thebes	$2,000	Moderate flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near Thebes, affecting low-lying fields, woods, and riverside parks. Boat ramps and river access roads were flooded. The river continued rising into early May.
April 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Thebes	$2,000	Small tree limbs were blown down, and a swing was blown over.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Thebes	$2,000	Trees were down on Old Route 3.
May 2024	Flood	Thebes	-	Brief minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River at Thebes early in the month.
May 2024	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River at Thebes in low-lying areas.
July 2024	Flood	Thebes	-	Torrential rainfall in portions of Southwestern Illinois resulted in a secondary surge of water levels on the Mississippi River, briefly returning gage levels at Thebes to minor flood.
July 2024	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding began near Thebes in early July and continued through mid July with impacts mainly limited to low-lying agricultural areas.
May 2022	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. Some low-lying fields near the river were flooded.
March 2021	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. Low-lying flood plain was underwater, which mostly consists of farmland.
March 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. Bottomland woods and fields were inundated. The flooding continued into April.
April 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. Some low-lying farmland and fields were inundated. The river continued rising into May.
January 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Low-lying woods and fields near the river were inundated.
February 2019	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding began on the Mississippi River as the month was ending. Low-lying woods and fields not protected by levees were underwater.
March 2019	Flood	Thebes	-	The Mississippi River rose above flood stage around mid-month and then continued rising into April. Moderate flooding was in progress by the end of March. There was considerable flooding of low-lying fields and woods and rural county roads. The river crest and its impacts will be contained in the April report.
March 2019	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding continued from February into early March on the Mississippi River. Low-lying woods and fields not protected by levees were underwater. The Mississippi River rose above flood stage in response to snowmelt and rain in the northern parts of the river basin.
October 2019	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River inundated some low-lying fields and woodlands, as well as riverfront public recreation facilities.
October 2018	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Some low-lying fields and woodlands near the river were inundated.
April 2017	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Low-lying fields and woods near the river were under water.
June 2017	Flood	Thebes	-	The Mississippi River continued to slowly fall after cresting in early May. Minor flooding of the Mississippi River in early June inundated low-lying fields.
April 2017	Flood	Thebes	-	The Mississippi River rose above flood stage at the end of the month. Through the end of April, the flooding was mostly minor to moderate. However, this was the start of major flooding along the river. The river continued rising past the end of the month.
December 2015	Flood	Thebes	-	The Mississippi River began its rise toward record-setting levels late in the month. The record crest did not occur until early January. In December, there was widespread flooding of low-lying areas not protected by levee systems.
July 2014	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near Thebes. Some low-lying fields and woodlands near the river were inundated.
July 2011	Flood	Thebes	-	The Mississippi River finally fell below flood stage for the first time since April 21. At the Thebes river gage, the highest level (or crest) in July was 37.77 feet on the 6th. This crest represented moderate flooding. Though the flooding in July was considerably less severe than the preceding three months, a small number of homes and businesses remained underwater early in July. 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 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River around Thebes. Agricultural bottomlands and some woodlands were flooded.
April 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River near Thebes. Some low-lying fields and river access points were under water.
April 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River inundated some low-lying fields and river access points around Thebes.
August 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River persisted from July into early August. Some fields in low-lying bottomlands were submerged.
March 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred at Thebes. At the Thebes river gage, where flood stage is 33 feet, the river crested at 38.09 feet on the 31st. Flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands near the river was considerable. Some flooding of river access roads occurred in and around Gale and Thebes.
May 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding occurred along the Mississippi River around Thebes. The communities of Thebes and Gale experienced some flooding of low-lying areas. The flooding mostly affected agricultural bottomlands and woodlands.
June 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near Thebes and Gale. Considerable flooding of cropland and low-lying woods occurred.
July 2010	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Fields, boat ramps, and recreational facilities along the river were inundated.
June 2009	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River occurred, affecting mostly bottomland fields. On the river gage at Thebes, the river crested at 33.64 feet on the 22nd. This was less than a foot above the flood stage of 33 feet.
May 2009	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor to moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred for nearly the entire month of May. At the Thebes gage, where flood stage is 33 feet, the river crested at 38.35 feet on the 23rd. Moderate flooding begins around 37 feet. Moderate flooding began around the communities of Thebes and Gale. Agricultural bottomland and low-lying areas were flooded.
October 2009	Flood	Thebes	-	Flooding began on the Mississippi River on the 31th. At the Thebes river gage, the river did not crest until after the end of the month. Water began to flood low-lying fields near the river.
November 2009	Flood	Thebes	-	Flooding began on the Mississippi River on the 31st of October. At the Thebes river gage, the river crested at 37.61 feet on the 4th of November. Flood stage there is 33 feet. This resulted in moderate flooding of lowland near the river. Flooding began in the villages of Thebes and Gale. Woods and fields near the river were inundated. No structures were known to have been flooded.
May 2008	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At Thebes, the river crested at 36.63 feet on the 16th. Flood stage there is 33 feet. Minor flooding of low-lying areas around Thebes and Gale occurred.
April 2008	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At Thebes, the river remained above flood stage for the entire month of April. The crest in April was 38.94 feet on the 15th. Flood stage at Thebes is 33 feet. Many low-lying areas were flooded, primarily farm fields and woodlands. Low-lying parts of Thebes and Gale were flooded. Mobile homes were relocated out of flooded areas.
March 2008	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At the Thebes gage, the river crested at 40.37 feet on March 24. Flood stage there is 33 feet, and moderate flooding begins at 37 feet. Flooding occurred in the town of Thebes, prompting some evacuations that are fairly routine. Large areas of agricultural land were flooded. Spring planting was not yet underway, so crop losses were negligible.
July 2008	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At Thebes, the river crested at 40.95 feet on the 3rd. Flood stage there is 33 feet. Extensive flooding of lowland fields occurred.
August 2008	Flood	Thebes	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River occurred at Thebes. The river crested at 33.88 feet on the 4th. Flood stage there is 33 feet. Low-lying fields and woodlands near the river were flooded.
June 2008	Flood	Thebes	-	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At Thebes, the river crested at 40.12 feet on the 25th. Flood stage there is 33 feet. Extensive flooding of lowland fields occurred. The river began to climb again before the end of the month, reaching a higher crest in July.
February 2007	Hail	Thebes	-	A swath of golf-ball size hail crossed central Alexander County.
May 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	no account filed
May 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	no account filed
April 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	no account filed
June 2020	Flood	Thebes	-	no account filed
January 2019	Flood	Thebes	-	no account filed
July 2015	Hail	Thebes	-	no account filed
March 2011	Flood	Thebes	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Alexander County

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.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Gale	2.1 miles	22
Fayville	4.3 miles	22
East Cape Girardeau	5.5 miles	25
Olive Branch	6.8 miles	22
McClure	6.9 miles	25
Shasta (historical)	7.1 miles	22
Diswood	7.4 miles	22
Clank	7.5 miles	22

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 Thebes	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q11045962	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 424100. 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.