FloodZoneMap.org

Flood — McCracken, KY

Jan 26, 1996

The Blizzard of '96 that fell in New England and the Mid-Atlantic around the 6th began to melt towards the middle of the month, sending a flood wave down the Ohio River. This in turn sent backwater up many of the smaller rivers that feed into the Ohio. The lower Ohio River crested 3 to 5 feet above flood stage. At Paducah, where the flood stage is 39 feet, the river reached 42.0 feet on the last day of the month. Portions of the riverfront park at Paducah were underwater. Most of the flooding wa

Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5542628). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.

Flood Risk Context for McCracken, KY

This event is one of many recorded floods in McCracken County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.

View McCracken County flood data →

More Flood Stories

Flood1 death$50K damage

McCracken, KY · Mar 2, 2011

Flooding of the Ohio River occurred for most of the month of March. The flooding was considered moderate. The flooding was due to a prolonged active weather pattern that carried over from February.

Read the full account →
Flood1 death

McCracken, KY · Mar 1, 2019

Moderate to major river flooding subsided in March. The rainy weather pattern that dominated January and February became less active in March. The winter of 2018-19 ended up being the fourth wettest winter on record at Paducah, where records go back to 1937.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$150K damage

McCracken, KY · Jul 19, 2023

Historic flash flooding struck parts of far western Kentucky. Among the hardest hit counties was Graves County, which had not completely recovered from a catastrophic tornado in December of 2021.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$125K damage

McCracken, KY · Aug 4, 2025

A shortwave trough and closed low reached the Quad State from the northwest during the morning of the 4th. The arrival of the shortwave preceded peak heating by several hours, limiting convective potential. Shear was very weak and instability limited.

Read the full account →