Throughout its history, Clarksville has survived several great Mississippi River floods in 1851, 1973, 1993, and 2008. Each time, residents worked to limit flood damage and slowly rebuilt their town. During the 2008 flood, heavy rains in Wisconsin and Iowa sent floodwaters rushing down the Mississippi River, which rose to more than 10 feet above flood stage in Clarksville. Teams of workers defended the town with pumps and sandbags, joined by volunteers from across the country as well as local residents and personnel from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Guard. Floodwaters surged into Clarksville’s riverfront park, and the town looked toward installing a state-of-the-art floodwall that could be quickly raised to hold back rising water.