Emelle, Alabama

Emelle, Alabama
Location of Emelle in Sumter County, Alabama.
Location of Emelle in Sumter County, Alabama.
Coordinates: 32°43′47″N 88°18′51″W / 32.72972°N 88.31417°W / 32.72972; -88.31417
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountySumter
Area
 • Total0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
 • Land0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
259 ft (79 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total32
 • Density151.66/sq mi (58.60/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
35459
Area code(s)205, 659
FIPS code01-23872
GNIS feature ID0155060

Emelle is a town in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. It was named after the daughters of the man who donated the land for the town. The town was started in the 19th century but not incorporated until 1981. The daughters of the man who donated were named Emma Dial and Ella Dial, so he combined the two names to create Emelle. Emelle was famous for its great cotton. The first mayor of Emelle was James Dailey. He served two terms. The current mayor is Roy Willingham Sr. The population was 32 at the 2020 census.

The town is known for being the site of the largest hazardous waste landfill in the United States, operated by Waste Management, Inc. That hazardous waste disposal facility was the subject of a case decided by the United States Supreme Court, Chemical Waste Management, Inc. v. Hunt, 504 U.S. 334 (1992).

The community was heavily damaged by an EF2 tornado on January 12, 2023.[2][3]

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". apps.dat.noaa.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  3. ^ "Tornado Outbreak of January 12, 2023". www.weather.gov. National Weather Service Birmingham AL. Retrieved January 19, 2023.