A River Town Story

Floods. They happened before Parkersburg became a place where people hung their shootin' irons and put up mailboxes. Even today, after a dam or two, flooding is a reality for everyone along the mighty Ohio river.

After awhile, sometime in 1832, someone thought it would be a good idea to keep a record of all the flooding in Parkersburg. The worst recorded flood occurred March the 29th in 1913. Flood waters assumed a level of nearly 59 feet. A level of 20 feet is considered normal. When the river rises to about 36 feet, worry begins and people start taking defensive action.

Two other recorded floods were nearly as disastrous. On February the 9th, 1884, water levels reached nearly 54 feet. January 26th of 1937 was the year water levels climbed to just over 55 feet, and forced a cow onto the porch of 807 Walnut Street, across the river in Belpre, Ohio. This humorous incident wasn't enough to quell the frustration that this aggressive flood brought to the homeowner. People in Parkersburg made their way on the floodwaters in boats and any other thing that would float.

Parkersburg was growing. People were raising families and planning retirements, and it was time someone did something. Something once and for all.

While the solution has been a source of contention over the years, no one can argue its ultimate success. After the horrific result of the flood of 1937, plans were put into action to construct "the floodwall". From 1946 to 1950, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at a cost of 6,820,000 or so dollars, made the potential of the flooding of Parkersburg finally go away.

The floodwall is high enough to handle another flood like the one in 1913 with a couple of feet to spare. As companions to the wall, reservoirs also exist for some help in reducing overall flood volume.

How much concrete did it take to build the floodwall? About 63,000 cubic yards or so. That's enough to make it about 10,400 feet long, from the Fifth Street Bridge all around to 34th Street and Murdoch Avenue. The wall is build like an inverted T all around and has an average height of around 22 feet. Earthen levees also exist to round out the entire flood protection package.

Of course, people want to get to the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers for fun and recreation, so thirteen gates exist in the floodwall. One gate in particular is quite interesting, indeed. This gate is at Murdoch Avenue less than a mile from Vienna. If waters get high enough, this gate will rise and stop not only the flood waters, but all traffic as well.

More than seventy times since 1832, flood waters have reached "damage" stage in Parkersburg. About the floodwall, some say it blocks their view of the beautiful Ohio river, so they don't like it. Others wish it hadn't gotten so gray with time. It boasts no artist's murals, emotes no recognizable architectural style, nor does it offer indication of the good nature of the people beyond it, save for a single, "Let's Be Friends" message at Point Park.

But one thing is certain, so sure and undeniable. It doesn't flood here anymore.