1937 Flood Memorial.

Flood of 1937 Monument

This non-specific monument -- which looks suspiciously like a recycled World War I memorial -- marks the western edge of the floodwaters of February 1937, "the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S." according to an accompanying historical marker. It is 2.5 miles inland from the Ohio River; that's a big flood. "Over 90 percent of the city was inundated."

The flip side of the marker ends on a hopeful note, reassuring readers that the later-built Paducah flood wall and regional dams have so tamed the river that "the 1937 flood could not happen again."

Flood of 1937 Monument

Address:: Jefferson St., Paducah, KY
Directions:: I-24 exit 4. Turn east onto US-24 BUS/Park Ave. and drive 2.5 miles. Turn right at the stoplight (DQ) onto Joe Clifton Drive. Drive three-quarters of a mile. Turn right at the stoplight onto Jefferson St. Drive one block. You'll see the monument ahead, in the road median.

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