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. At the height of the flood on Feb. 2, 1937, this location marked the water's western edge in Paducah. Over 90 per cent of the city was inundated, 27,000 people were evacuated, and damage exceeded $22,000,000. Such a 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 three feet above the 1937 flood level.