Ohio River flood of 1937

===Kentucky===
[[File:Ginn's Furniture Store in Milton.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A building in [[Milton, Kentucky]], with [[high water mark]] of 1937 on the second story]]

In Louisville, the water reached a height of 40 feet, which resulted in almost 70 percent of the entire city being underwater. 175,000 people were forced to leave their homes and relocate due to the flood. The reported damage of the flood in the state resulted in about $250 million worth of damage. This flood outdoes the second highest water level in the city of Louisville by an astonishing 10 feet, showing how large the flood really was. Several businesses in the [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] area were devastated, especially the famed [[Rose Island (amusement park)|Rose Island]] amusement park (on the Indiana side of the river near [[Charlestown, Indiana|Charlestown]]), which never rebuilt. As a result of the flood, newer development in Louisville was directed to the east out of the flood plain. The east end has since benefited by a long-term concentration of wealth among residents and businesses which located away from the older central and western areas of the city.

At [[Paducah, Kentucky|Paducah]], in January 1937, there was a two-week period of rain followed by a sleet storm. Initially, there were only a few individuals that were skeptical of the risen water level. At the time, most residents were accustomed to it and thought absolutely nothing of it. By January 19, it became clear that the water was reaching a very high level. The Ohio River rose above its {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} flood stage on January 21, cresting at {{convert|60.8|ft|m}} on February 2 and receding again to {{convert|50|ft|m}} on February 15. For nearly three weeks, 27,000 residents were forced to flee to stay with friends and relatives in higher ground in McCracken County or in other counties. Some shelters were provided by the [[American Red Cross]] and local churches. Buildings in downtown Paducah bear historic plaques that note the high-water marks, and at least one historic marker indicates the farthest inland extent of flood waters in the city.

With {{convert|18|in|mm}} of rainfall in 16 days, along with sheets of swiftly moving ice, the '37 flood was the worst natural disaster in Paducah's history. Because Paducah's earthen levee was ineffective against this flood, the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] was commissioned to build the flood wall that now protects the city.