Ohio River Flood 1937
January 13th- February 5th
Location
Rivers Included
Size of are affected
Flood control measures that were in place
Recovery
Additional Facts
- The Army Corp of engineers dispatched an entire fleet down the Cumberland River for rescue and relief.
- Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky were all affected.
- Bridges were too low to send recovery ships through there.
Map
Timeline
January 5: Water levels began to rise.
January 10–18: Numerous flood warnings were issued across much of the region.
January 13–24: Near record rainfalls were recorded.
January 18: Numerous homes were flooded as the Ohio River started to overflow its banks due to the heavy rains.
January 23–24: Martial law was declared in Evansville, Indiana, where the water level was at 54 feet
January 26: River gauge levels reached 80 feet in Cincinnati, the highest level in the city's history.
January 27: River gauge reached 57 feet (17 m) in the Louisville area, setting a new record. Seventy percent of the city was under water at that time.
February 2: River gauge reached over 60 feet in Paducah, Kentucky.
February 5: Water levels fell below the flood stage for the first time in nearly three weeks in several regions.