BlockLester, South Carolina
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1942 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the McColl census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29512. It stands on Beverly Creek. The Survey maps it on the Bennettsville North quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 8 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.
- 1942 USGS Rockingham quadrangle1:125000
- 1953 USGS Florence quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1954 USGS Florence quadrangle1:250000
- 1972 USGS Bennettsville North quadrangle1:24000
- 1983 USGS Laurinburg quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
279 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 279 fires within 5 miles of Lester between 1992 and 2020, burning about 757 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 59 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 94 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 87 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 59 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 18 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 9 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Natural | 5 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Fireworks | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 September 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 2 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 2 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 15 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Lester: 1 unknown, 1 past producer, 1 plant. 1 still produces. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Plant Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Harrel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Marboro Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant |
Storms near this place
8 since 2003Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lester in 8 storm reports between 2003 and 2024: 6 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lester | $4,000 | Trees were reportedly down near the intersection of Academy Road and Highway 385. The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lester | $1,500 | A tree was reportedly down across a power line on Highway 385. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lester | $1,500 | A large tree was reported down and blocking the road near the intersection of Highway 385 and Academy Road. Widespread power outages were reported in Bennettsville as a result of the continuous cloud to ground lightning which accompanied the severe thunderstorm. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lester | $1,000 | A tree was reported down near the intersection of Academy Road and Bennettsville Fire Tower Road. The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lester | $1,000 | A tree was reported down near the intersection of Pence Road and Academy Road. The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lester | $1,000 | A tree was reportedly down on Academy Road. The time was estimated based on radar data. |
| August 2024 | Flash Flood | Lester | - | Beverly Creek Road is flooded. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Lester | - | A spotter reported quarter size hail. Trees were also reported down. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt Factory (historical) | 0.8 miles | 8 | |
| Brutons Fork | 1.6 miles | 8 | |
| Breeden | 1.9 miles | 8 | |
| Newtonville | 2.1 miles | 8 | |
| Adamsville Crossroads | 3.0 miles | 10 | |
| Lakeside | 3.2 miles | 8 | |
| Lake Terrace | 3.5 miles | 8 | |
| Boykin | 3.7 miles | 8 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1246336. 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.