BlockBefore

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.

Erath within McLennan County

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 18 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

331 since 2001

Regional 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 burning151
Missing data/not specified/undetermined100
Equipment and vehicle use33
Smoking25
Power generation/transmission/distribution10
Recreation and ceremony5
Arson/incendiarism3
Misuse of fire by a minor2
Natural2

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
5 September 2018Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service18318
5 September 2015Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service1829 RIVER RD
30 September 2017Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service17-2730020
30 September 2017Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service166-17
30 September 2013Debris and open burning6.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceCULPEPPER LN. FIRE
30 September 2004Debris and open burning2.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
3 September 2011Debris and open burning15 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceAIRPORT
3 September 2005Debris and open burning5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in McLennan County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Grayson PitSilicaPast Producer
Bosqueville Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
H and B No 3Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Waco Sand and Gravel Co Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in McLennan County

Storms near this place

9 since 2008

Regional 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
April 2024Tornado (EF1)Erath$200,000A 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 2024Flash FloodErath$30,000Emergency management reported several washed out roads/culverts across Central McLennan County due to heavy rainfall and flooding Thursday morning.
January 2020Thunderstorm WindErath$30,000Local 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 2024Tornado (EF0)Erath$10,000A 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 2014Thunderstorm WindErath$7,000Several trees were knocked down on Highway 185 to the west of Lake Waco.
May 2025HailErath-Emergency manager reported nickel sized hail in the China Springs area.
April 2023Tornado (EFU)Erath-Twitter video evidence of a small, brief tornado in this area. No damage was reported.
May 2017HailErath-Emergency management reported half-dollar sized hail near the city of China Spring, TX.
May 2008HailErath-Half-dollar size hail was reported by an observer.

Every storm recorded in McLennan 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
Valley View1.0 miles18
Rock Creek2.6 miles18
Eichelberger Crossing2.6 miles19
China Springs2.7 miles18
Patrick3.6 miles18
Caldwell Crossing3.8 miles19
Bosqueville4.0 miles19
Bannas Junction4.2 miles19

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.