Erath, Texas
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Waco census division. It lies in ZIP code area 76708. The Survey maps it on the China Springs quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 18 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.
- 1892 USGS Waco quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1920 USGS Waco quadrangle1:125000
- 1931 USGS Valley Mills quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Waco quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Waco quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS China Springs quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1985 USGS Waco quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
331 since 2001Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 331 fires within 5 miles of Erath between 2001 and 2020, burning about 1,758 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 3 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 | 151 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 33 |
| Smoking | 25 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 10 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Natural | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2018 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | 18318 |
| 5 September 2015 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | 1829 RIVER RD |
| 30 September 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | 17-2730020 |
| 30 September 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | 166-17 |
| 30 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | CULPEPPER LN. FIRE |
| 30 September 2004 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 3 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | 15 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | AIRPORT |
| 3 September 2005 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Erath: 3 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Silica. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson Pit | Silica | Past Producer | ||
| Bosqueville Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| H and B No 3 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Waco Sand and Gravel Co Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
9 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Erath in 9 storm reports between 2008 and 2025: 3 hail, 3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 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 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Erath | $200,000 | A second tornado from the same supercell occurred west of Waco damaging neighborhoods on either side of Wortham Bend Road near China Spring Rd. Damage in these neighborhoods consisted of damaged trees, downed fences, broken windows, and mostly minor roof damage. One home lost most of the front part of its roof, and a few homes were impaled with flying fence panels. Maximum estimated winds were 95 mph. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Erath | $30,000 | Emergency management reported several washed out roads/culverts across Central McLennan County due to heavy rainfall and flooding Thursday morning. |
| January 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Erath | $30,000 | Local media reported roof damage to about 11 homes in the China Springs area on Colfax Drive. Drone footage showed minor roof damage limited to shingles. |
| April 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Erath | $10,000 | A brief EF-0 tornado occurred along Wisdom Ct west of Waco. Fences were damaged and large tree limbs were broken. Maximum estimated winds were 80 mph. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Erath | $7,000 | Several trees were knocked down on Highway 185 to the west of Lake Waco. |
| May 2025 | Hail | Erath | - | Emergency manager reported nickel sized hail in the China Springs area. |
| April 2023 | Tornado (EFU) | Erath | - | Twitter video evidence of a small, brief tornado in this area. No damage was reported. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Erath | - | Emergency management reported half-dollar sized hail near the city of China Spring, TX. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Erath | - | Half-dollar size hail was reported by an observer. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley View | 1.0 miles | 18 | |
| Rock Creek | 2.6 miles | 18 | |
| Eichelberger Crossing | 2.6 miles | 19 | |
| China Springs | 2.7 miles | 18 | |
| Patrick | 3.6 miles | 18 | |
| Caldwell Crossing | 3.8 miles | 19 | |
| Bosqueville | 4.0 miles | 19 | |
| Bannas Junction | 4.2 miles | 19 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1379730. 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.






