Zerkel, Minnesota
10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Rice Township. It lies in ZIP code area 56621. The Survey maps it on the Zerkel quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 10 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 Bemidji quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1957 USGS Bemidji quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Bemidji quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Zerkel quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Lake Itasca quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
81 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 81 fires within 5 miles of Zerkel between 1992 and 2020, burning about 361 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 37 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 | 37 |
| Debris and open burning | 29 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 September 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 September 2012 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 September 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 27 August 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 June 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 May 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 May 1994 | Arson/incendiarism | 17 acres | Minnesota Agency | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Zerkel: 1 producer. All of them 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathison Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
39 since 1998Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Zerkel in 39 storm reports between 1998 and 2025: 25 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 2 flash flood. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2013 | Tornado (EF2) | Zerkel | $750,000 | This tornado began in Mahnomen County, just southeast of Mahnomen, at 12:50 am CST. The total tornado track was about 21 miles. The tornado damaged structures at three locations along the route with long tracks of tree and crop damage. Peak winds were estimated at 115 mph. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | $700,000 | Ground survey and high resolution satellite confirmed a long swath of widespread destructive straight-line winds estimated between 80 and 90 mph starting across south central Clearwater County north of Highway 200 and south of Highway 2. The swath was 8 miles at its widest and easternmost point in Clearwater County. This surge of straight-line winds continued east into southern Beltrami and northern Hubbard counties where more significant winds and impacts were observed around Bemidji. The 30 mile long swath started in Clearwater County and ended near the southeastern Beltrami county line. There was approximately 60,388 acres of Clearwater County impacted with widespread tree damage within this single swath. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | High resolution satellite imagery reveals numerous swaths of significant tree damage in portions of southern Clearwater County MN. This includes one noteworthy area of widespread tree destruction near Long Lost Lake, particularly south and east of the lake. Maximum wind estimated from numerous trees snapped at the trunk blown down in a unidirectional and divergent pattern indicative of destructive straight line winds around 100 mph. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Zerkel | - | Report of quarter sized hail relayed via Facebook. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | Several pine and poplar trees were blown down along MN200. Time was estimated based on radar. |
| August 2020 | Hail | Zerkel | - | The hail fell along highway 113. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | Large tree branches were blown down. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | A few large tree branches were blown down at a campground. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | Multiple five to six inch diameter trees were blown down across highway 92 two miles southwest of Lake Minerva. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Zerkel | - | The hail fell about eight miles south of Bagley. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | Strong winds gusted for 3 to 5 minutes and knocked down several large trees near Lower Rice Lake and the surrounding Rice Lake community. Heavy rains accompanied the winds. |
| June 2010 | Tornado (EF1) | Zerkel | - | This tornado tracked nearly due north for about 3 miles. The tornado knocked down numerous large tree limbs and uprooted or snapped off several trees. Some shingles, gutters, and trim pieces were torn off of a house. Peak winds were estimated at 95 mph. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Zerkel | - | The hail fell along the Becker and Clearwater County line and highway 113. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Zerkel | - | Hail covered the ground. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zerkel | - | Several large trees were blown down. |
| June 2002 | Flash Flood | Zerkel | - | Water covered highway 200. |
| June 2002 | Lightning | Zerkel | - | Damage to a home was reported from a lightning strike. |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Zerkel | - | A portion of highway 200 was under water from the heavy rain. |
| September 2018 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| September 2018 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| September 2018 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Zerkel | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Zerkel | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minerva | 4.0 miles | 10 | |
| Ponsford Landing | 4.1 miles | 10 | |
| Bush Landing | 5.1 miles | 10 | |
| Big Bear Landing | 5.4 miles | 10 | |
| Mallard (historical) | 6.1 miles | 10 | |
| Bonga Landing | 7.0 miles | 10 | |
| Rice Lake | 8.7 miles | 9 | |
| Vern | 8.9 miles | 9 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 654436. 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.




