The Flood Wall / The 1937 Flood

Paducah's $8,000,000 flood wall was built by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, stretches twelve miles, and protects the city to a height three feet above the 1937 flood level. In Paducah, a flood like the Flood of 1937 could not occur again because of the flood wall, TVA's dams, and other upstream reservoirs; in all, flood control has cost TVA almost $200,000,000. 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. When the Ohio River reached its crest in Paducah on Feb. 2, 1937, the water stood at 60.8 feet. Over 90 per cent of the city was inundated, 27,000 people were evacuated, and damage exceeded $22,000,000.

Paducah, Kentucky · United States