BlockBefore

Charlson, North Dakota

5 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1997. It stands in Elm Tree Township. It lies in ZIP code area 58763. The Survey maps it on the Charlson quadrangle.

Charlson within McKenzie County

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 surveys from 5 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.

Fires near this place

23 since 2000

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 23 fires within 5 miles of Charlson between 2000 and 2020, burning about 78 acres in total. 2 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
Equipment and vehicle use10
Power generation/transmission/distribution7
Firearms and explosives use3
Natural2
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
30 September 2020Firearms and explosives use3.8 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsPHELPS BAY AGAIN
25 September 2000Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsHUNT A102
11 September 2020Firearms and explosives use1.1 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsLAKE VIEW
1 September 2020Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service2020-050
1 September 2020Firearms and explosives useunder an acreDakota Prairie National GrasslandsPHELPS BAY
6 August 2019Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreDakota Prairie National GrasslandsLAKESIDE
10 August 2003Power generation/transmission/distribution23 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsSILURIAN
19 July 2006Equipment and vehicle use6.4 acresDakota Prairie National Grasslands883 ROAD

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in McKenzie County

Mines and quarries near this place

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Charlson: 3 producers, 1 past producer. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
County Scoria PitStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
County Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
County Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in McKenzie County

Storms near this place

18 since 2014

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Charlson in 18 storm reports between 2014 and 2025: 15 thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud, 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 2014Thunderstorm WindCharlson$200,000Three recreational vehicles in Tobacco Garden Bay sustained significant damage, with one being toppled. No injuries were reported. It was originally speculated that the damage was caused by a tornado. Local emergency management conducted a survey and determined the damage was caused by strong straight line winds.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindCharlson$100,000A single wide manufactured home was blown off its cinder block foundation, displaced approximately 50 to 60 feet, and completely destroyed. A livestock trailer was flipped onto its roof, a metal storage container was shifted and tipped onto its side and a large dumpster was blown approximately 100 feet.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindCharlson$45,000Severe thunderstorm winds destroyed a garage, blowing it off of its foundation. Based on the position of the storm and this report, these winds were likely associated with the rear flank downdraft of this severe thunderstorm that also produced a tornado as well in McKenzie County. See the McKenzie County tornado entry.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindCharlson$25,000Several panels on the roof of a metal industrial building were displaced, and a couple were completely blown off.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindCharlson$25,000A boat was blown off a trailer onto the parking lot at Four Bears Casino.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindCharlson$20,000A pull-behind camper was tipped onto its side.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindCharlson$3,000A large tree was blown down and uprooted.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindCharlson-The public estimated a wind gust of 60 mph.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindCharlson-The thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a trained spotter located west of Four Bears Casino and Lodge.
July 2014Tornado (EF0)Charlson-This was a public report, through social media, of a tornado west of New Town, in McKenzie County. The person was uncertain of the exact location from a nearby town and so the location was estimated based on radar data. Through social media there was visual evidence of this tornado with debris visible on the ground, in open country. There were no reports of damage in real time nor in follow up contact with county officials. The tornado was therefore rated EF0. There was wind damage, likely associated with the rear flank downdraft of the parent severe thunderstorm, to the southwest of this tornado track in McKenzie County. See the entry for wind damage in McKenzie County.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindCharlson-no account filed
August 2025Thunderstorm WindCharlson-no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindCharlson-no account filed
July 2020Thunderstorm WindCharlson-no account filed
June 2020Funnel CloudCharlson-no account filed
June 2020Thunderstorm WindCharlson-no account filed
June 2018Funnel CloudCharlson-no account filed
June 2016Thunderstorm WindCharlson-no account filed

Every storm recorded in McKenzie 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.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Hawkeye4.3 miles8
Keene9.9 miles8
Four Bears Village16.4 miles8
Banks17.2 miles8
Johnsons Corner18.1 miles8
Croff21.9 miles8
Schafer24.6 miles7
Mandaree25.1 miles7

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 Q122549948The 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 1028343. 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.