Rotan, Texas
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1893 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Rotan census division. It lies in ZIP code area 79546. The Survey maps it on the Rotan quadrangle. 1,332 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,949 feet above sea level.
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Population over time
3 figuresRotan fell from 1,611 to 1,332 between 2000 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,611 | |
| 2010 | 1,508 | -103 (-6%) |
| 2020 | 1,332 | -176 (-12%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 15 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.
- 1893 USGS Roby quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
- 1931 USGS Rotan quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Big Spring quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1958 USGS Big Spring quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Rotan quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Snyder quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
67 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 67 fires within 5 miles of Rotan between 2005 and 2020, burning about 599 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 22 |
| Debris and open burning | 15 |
| Smoking | 12 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 6 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 2011 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | HULL |
| 25 September 2011 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | FIREDBUZZARD |
| 31 August 2011 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | DITCH FIRE |
| 31 August 2011 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | S CURVE |
| 3 August 2008 | Smoking | 10 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 19 August 2011 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | BCE |
| 16 August 2019 | Natural | 5.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | LIGHTENING |
| 11 August 2020 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | HOOPER 3 |
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 Rotan: 2 producers, 1 occurrence. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Gypsum-Anhydrite, Strontium. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oden Occurrence | Strontium | Occurrence | Celestite | |
| Longworth Gypsum Plant | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Producer | ||
| Rotan Gypsum Plant | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 124 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Rotan in 124 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 70 hail, 41 thunderstorm wind, 8 tornado, 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2002 | Hail | Rotan | $5,000,000 | Thunderstorms over Fisher County produced hail up to the size of golfballs. The hail caused damage to the public library as well as many homes in Rotan. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | $250,000 | An apparent downburst tore through the community of Rotan, severely damaging several businesses. One automotive garage was completely destroyed when its sheet metal roof and walls were blown away by the high winds. Several other buildings along Main Street lost part or all of their roofs, with the debris damaging other buildings downwind. Two schools suffered roof damage, allowing rain water to leak into the classrooms. In addition, trees and fences throughout the town were knocked down, and many houses suffered broken windows. |
| May 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Rotan | $100,000 | This tornado, reported by storm chasers, impacted the east side of Rotan as it crossed State Highway 92 and the nearby golf course. The twister broke several large tree limbs, knocked down power poles and power lines, uprooted a few trees and tore off some roof shingles from a few homes. The tornado lifted near the intersection of South Genevieve Avenue and State Highway 70. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Rotan | $6,000 | The large hail damaged an automobile's windshield. |
| September 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds blew the roof off of a building. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | $500 | Small trees and outbuildings blown over |
| April 2026 | Hail | Rotan | - | We received a call from an individual in Rotan, TX reporting golf ball sized hail in Rotan. He was located approximately one block west of the park in town. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Rotan | - | Broadcast media relayed a photo of golf ball size hail from a viewer in Rotan. Time of report estimated from radar. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A mesonet station reported a wind gust of 71 mph 5 miles west of Rotan. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Rotan | - | Public reported half dollar size hail. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A mesonet observation station reported a 71 mph wind gust. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Rotan | - | Public reported quarter size hail. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A mesonet observation station reported a wind gust of 81 mph 5 miles west of Rotan. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The National Weather Service conducted a storm survey after a strong supercell thunderstorm moved southeast across Fisher |County, with a swath of very strong winds that pushed through the |northern and central portions of the county. Three broken steel |transmission poles were observed northeast of Rotan, a roof of a |degraded carport was blown off in Rotan, a couple small barns or |outbuildings were heavily damaged east of Roby and in Sylvester, |tree damage was widespread, and broken wood power poles were |observed as well. The estimated peak wind speed was 100 mph and |the distance of the wind damage was around 18 miles. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A mesonet observation station measured a 63 mph wind gust. |
| April 2024 | Hail | Rotan | - | Public reported quarter size hail. |
| April 2024 | Hail | Rotan | - | Public reported golf ball size hail. |
| April 2024 | Hail | Rotan | - | Public reported quarter size hail. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A mesonet observation station measured a 78 mph wind gust. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Rotan | - | A spotter reported quarter size hail piled up along County Road 327. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A mesonet station measured a wind gust of 71 mph, 5 miles west of Rotan. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Rotan | - | The report was from mping. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A West Texas Mesonet observation site recorded a wind gust of 62 mph. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Law Enforcement reported partial collapse of a roof on a hardware store and exterior damage in Rotan. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Mesonet site 5 miles west of Rotan measured sustained winds of 83 mph with a wind gust of 95 mph. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Rotan | - | The public reported quarter size hail in Rotan. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Rotan | - | There is picture of hail 3 inches in diameter on Facebook in Rotan. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Rotan | - | There was pea to quarter size hail reported in Rotan. |
| October 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A Mesonet observation site reported a 59 mph wind gust. |
| October 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A Mesonet observation site reported a 63 mph wind gust. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The West Texas Mesonet station, 5 miles west of Rotan, reported a wind gust of 61 mph. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet Station located 5 miles west of Rotan measured a 64 MPH wind gust from the west. |
| May 2021 | Hail | Rotan | - | The Rotan Fire Department reported golf ball to baseball size hail. |
| May 2021 | Flash Flood | Rotan | - | Fisher County Sheriff's Office reported water flowing over the road on State Highway 70 just north of the Fisher County Hospital. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet site recorded a wind gust of 64 mph. |
| May 2019 | Hail | Rotan | - | A trained spotter reported golf ball size hail in Rotan. |
| May 2019 | Hail | Rotan | - | Baseball size hail was reported 4 miles west of Rotan. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Damaging thunderstorm wind gusts peeled a section of a metal roof off of the Baptist Church, uprooted numerous trees and knocked down power lines in Rotan. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The Rotan Fire Department estimated a wind gust of 60 mph. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A brick wall was damaged from a house on the 100 Block of Mccarther St. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | Rotan | - | Roads were flooded in Rotan with a depth of 1 to 2 feet of water. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The Rotan Fire Department reported a wind gust of 60 mph. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts from 60 to 80 mph were reported in Rotan. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The roof of a barn collapsed along State Highway 70 about three quarters of a mile south of Rotan. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The high thunderstorm winds tore roofs of some of the homes and the buildings in Anson. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Law enforcement reported a power line down on east Lee Street. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | KTXS reported an estimated wind gust of 75 MPH. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Rotan | - | The public reported half inch to nickel size hail. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer reported large pecan tree limbs down. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | National Weather Service Cooperative Observer reported a 60 mph wind gust. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Rotan | - | A HAM operator in Rotan reported penny size hail. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | A storm survey indicated that widespread tree limb damage occurred across the eastern half of Rotan. In addition, a few trees and fences were blown down. The wind was estimated at around 70 MPH. A few homes sustained roof damage and a few metal roofs sustained minor structural damage. Thunderstorm winds blew a tree onto a power line in Rotan and several storage tanks were pushed over onto their sides. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | The strong wind gusts were assocaited with the gust front well ahead of the storm. |
| April 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Rotan | - | Law enforcement reported a brief tornado 4 miles south of the town of Rotan. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Fisher County Emergency Manager reported tree limbs down and roof damage in the town of Rotan. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotan | - | Trees were blown down and damage was found to the local gym. Also, highway 70 was blocked by debris. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Rotan | - | Law enforcement reported that County Road 611 west of Rotan was flooded and impassable. |
| June 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Rotan | - | This tornado developed from the same supercell that spawned the large tornado near Jayton. The tornado that formed in northern Fisher County was photographed by a constable. Also numerous storm chasers were following the storm as well as it went through northern Fisher County. |
| August 2005 | Flash Flood | Rotan | - | Very heavy rains of around 6 inches fell in addition to 6 inches of rain that had already fallen the past two days to produce flash flooding near the Rotan area. High water was reported across many low lying areas of Rotan. Highway 611 west of Rotan was also closed. |
| April 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Rotan | - | Brief tornado right along the Fisher and Stonewall county line and was filmed by a chase crew. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Roads | 4.3 miles | 10 | |
| North Roby | 5.2 miles | 15 | |
| Fisher | 5.7 miles | 15 | |
| Sardis | 6.8 miles | 15 | |
| Scotts Corner | 7.7 miles | 10 | |
| Hobbs | 8.3 miles | 10 | |
| Center | 8.6 miles | 12 | |
| Roby | 8.7 miles | 12 |
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.
| Wikipedia article on Rotan | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q979599 | The 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 1345626. 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.





