Ohio River at McAlpine Lower, KY
River level and flood forecast · Jefferson County
The river is 39.0 ft below flood stage (55 ft).
Forecast to rise to 21.4 ft Wed 2 PM, below the 55 ft flood stage.
Flow: 84,300 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:13 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 73 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 65 ft |
| Flood stage | 55 ft |
| Action stage | 53 ft |
| Record crest (January 27, 1937) | 85.44 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 88.5 ftThe flood will reach the top of the floodwall. A large part of downtown Louisville floods. Parts of I-64 and I-65 flood. Homes along 31W (Dixie Highway) are destroyed. New Albany and Clarksville will suffer major damage.
- 76 ftUS 31W (Dixie Highway) closed at floodgate.
- 74 ftHouk Lane is closed at floodgate.
- 71 ftKY 44 is closed.
- 67 ftBlackiston Mill Road floods at Silver Creek in Clarksville.
- 66 ftLock is closed. Floodgates at Riverport are closed.
- 65 ftParts of US 31W (Dixie Highway) flood from I-265 (Gene Synder Freeway) interchange to West Point KY. Riverfront parks in Clarksville and New Albany flood.
- 59 ftOverbrook Rd. floods south of Lake Dreamland Rd.
- 58 ftIN 111 floods upstream of Bridgeport.
- 55 ftParks and riverfront areas in Clarksville and New Albany flood. Some yards along US 31W (Dixie Highway) from Pleasure Ridge Park to West Point KY flood.
Highest crests on record
- 85.44 ft — January 27, 1937
- 74.40000000000002 ft — February 16, 1884
- 74.40000000000002 ft — March 7, 1945
- 73.46 ft — March 13, 1964
- 72.7 ft — April 2, 1913
Recent crests: 67.98 ft (April 9, 2025) · 59.59 ft (February 20, 2025) · 59.81 ft (March 6, 2021) · 56.69 ft (February 16, 2020) · 57 ft (February 27, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamOhio River at McAlpine Upper, KY
- DownstreamOhio River at Riverview Park, KY
- Beargrass Creek at Mellwood, KY
- Middle Fork Beargrass Creek near Clifton, KY
- Ohio River at Louisville Water Tower, KY
- South Fork Beargrass Creek near Audubon Park, KY
- Silver Creek (IN) at Sellersburg, IN
- Middle Fork Beargrass Creek near St. Matthews, KY
- Mill Creek (KY) near Pleasure Ridge Park, KY
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (MLPK2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.