The 1937 Flood
Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
The 1937 Flood. The Ohio Valley Flood of 1937 was the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. and drove over one million citizens from their homes. This location marks the water's western edge in Paducah at the height of the flood, February 2, 1937. Over 90% of the city was inundated, 27,000 people were evacuated and damage exceeded $22,000,000. Over. (Reverse) The 1937 Flood - The 1937 Flood could not happen again in Paducah because of the flood wall, the chain of TVA Dams, and other upstream reservoirs. In all, flood control has cost TVA almost $200,000,000. Paducah's $8,000,000 flood wall was built by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, is twelve miles long and protects the city to a height of three feet above the 1937 flood level. Over. Presented by Gresham Hougland.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
This spot marks the western edge of the water at the height of the catastrophic Ohio Valley Flood of February 1937—when more than 90% of Paducah lay submerged, 27,000 residents fled, and damages topped $22 million. The disaster drove over a million people from their homes across the region. In response, a twelve-mile floodwall, the TVA dam network, and upstream reservoirs were built to ensure it could never happen again.
Why it matters
The 1937 flood and the massive engineering that followed exemplify how a single disaster reshaped American river towns and spurred one of the era's great public works campaigns in flood control.
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Related events
- · Ohio River Flood of 1937
Themes & tags
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