Ohio River at Paducah, KY
River level and flood forecast · McCracken County
Normal16.1 ftas of Mon 4 PM
The river is 22.9 ft below flood stage (39 ft).
Forecast to rise to 17.7 ft Thu 1 PM, below the 39 ft flood stage.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:41 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 52 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 43 ft |
| Flood stage | 39 ft |
| Action stage | 32 ft |
| Record crest (February 2, 1937) | 60.6 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 64 ftThe top of the protection is reached at Paducah.
- 60.6 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 ftMany of the industrial plants upstream in Calvert City are affected at this stage and higher and may begin to shut down.
- 52 ftMajor flooding occurs and is widespread on both sides of the river.
- 49.5 ftThe first gate is closed in the floodwall in Paducah.
- 47 ftProperty damage begins on the the Illinois and Kentucky sides of the river.
- 43 ftModerate flooding occurs affecting several small unprotected towns.
- 39 ftMinor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
- 32 ftThe city of Paducah starts the first pumps.
Highest crests on record
- 60.6 ft — February 2, 1937
- 55.03 ft — May 5, 2011
- 54.3 ft — April 7, 1913
- 54.3 ft — February 23, 1884
- 53.3 ft — February 13, 1950
Recent crests: 48.15 ft (April 15, 2025) · 43.23 ft (February 19, 2025) · 44.58 ft (March 3, 2022) · 42.84 ft (March 8, 2021) · 48.39 ft (February 21, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PAHK2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.