The Great Ohio Valley Flood: 79.9 Feet And Rising

On Jan. 26, 1937, the Ohio River reached 79.9 feet in Cincinnati. That is the highest level ever recorded. More than 70% of Louisville, Kentucky, was submerged after weeks of relentless rain pushed the region over the edge. The disaster caused more than $5.5 billion in damages in today's dollars, and led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to order the construction of nearly 80 reservoirs that would protect the Ohio Valley for generations.