Rivers in Kentucky
Ohio River at Paducah
Below flood stage
15.68ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 10:00 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 39.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 21.50 ftTue, Sep 29, 1:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 60.60 ft1937
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 52.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 43.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 39.00 ft |
| Action | 32.00 ft |
- 64.00 ftThe top of the protection is reached at Paducah.
- 60.60 ftThis flood will exceed the highest stage on record. Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary. The levee will protect most of the city at this level.
- 56.00 ftMany of the industrial plants upstream in Calvert City are affected at this stage and higher and may begin to shut down.
- 52.00 ftMajor flooding occurs and is widespread on both sides of the river.
- 49.50 ftThe first gate is closed in the floodwall in Paducah.
- 47.00 ftProperty damage begins on the the Illinois and Kentucky sides of the river.
- 43.00 ftModerate flooding occurs affecting several small unprotected towns.
- 39.00 ftMinor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
- 32.00 ftThe city of Paducah starts the first pumps.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
73 crests on NOAA’s list since 1867.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 2, 1937 | 60.60 ft |
| 2 | May 5, 2011 | 55.03 ft |
| 3 | April 7, 1913 | 54.30 ft |
| 4 | February 23, 1884 | 54.30 ft |
| 5 | February 13, 1950 | 53.30 ft |
| 6 | February 25, 2019 | 53.27 ft |
| 7 | March 21, 1867 | 52.00 ft |
| 8 | March 11, 1997 | 51.79 ft |
| 9 | March 2, 2018 | 51.43 ft |
| 10 | April 3, 1975 | 51.40 ft |
| 11 | March 25, 1897 | 50.90 ft |
| 12 | February 25, 1883 | 50.70 ft |
| 13 | April 17, 1886 | 50.40 ft |
| 14 | March 10, 1945 | 50.30 ft |
| 15 | February 26, 1882 | 50.00 ft |
| 16 | January 8, 1991 | 49.90 ft |
| 17 | April 11, 1912 | 49.90 ft |
| 18 | March 19, 1963 | 49.80 ft |
| 19 | March 7, 1979 | 49.20 ft |
| 20 | February 22, 1939 | 49.10 ft |
| 21 | April 16, 1936 | 49.10 ft |
| 22 | March 24, 1922 | 48.90 ft |
| 23 | March 11, 1890 | 48.50 ft |
| 24 | February 21, 2020 | 48.39 ft |
| 25 | March 12, 1962 | 48.20 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 15, 2025: 48.15 ft
- February 19, 2025: 43.23 ft
- March 3, 2022: 44.58 ft
- March 8, 2021: 42.84 ft
- February 21, 2020: 48.39 ft
- February 25, 2019: 53.27 ft
- March 2, 2018: 51.43 ft
- May 13, 2017: 40.65 ft
- December 31, 2015: 46.00 ft
- May 10, 2013: 39.63 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- UpstreamOhio River at Smithland Lock and Dam
- DownstreamOhio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater
- Massac Creek at Paducah
- Tennessee River at Kentucky Lake Tailwater
- Tennessee River at Kentucky Lake Pool
- Ohio River at Golconda
- Cumberland River at Barkley Lake Tailwater
- Cumberland River at Barkley Lake Pool
- Cache River (IL) at Forman
What this means
Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.