Living with Floods
Throughout its history, Clarksville has survived a number of “great” Mississippi River floods – in 1851, 1973, 1993, and 2008. Each time, residents have worked to limit flood damage, and have slowly rebuilt their town. In the future, Clarksville hopes to install a state-of-the-art floodwall that can be quickly raised to hold back the rising water.
”It was a battle. It was a war, and this time we didn’t lose…. But you never forget the power of the river and the possibility of a flood. You never put it out of your mind.”
- Jo Anne Smiley, Mayor of Clarksville
during the 2008 flood
[Photo captions, clockwise from top, read]
• In June 2008, heavy rains in Wisconsin and Iowa sent floodwaters rushing down the Mississippi River. The river soon rose to more than 10 feet above flood stage in Clarksville.
• In 2008, teams of workers defended Clarksville with pumps and sandbags. Volunteers from throughout the country joined local residents and personnel from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Guard.
• Floodwaters surged into Clarksville’s riverfront park
this page online
Erected by US Army Corps of Engineers and City of Clarksville.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is June 2008.
Location. 39° 22.303′ N, 90° 54.241′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Missouri, in Pike County. Marker is on 1st Street north of Howard Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in Riverfront Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Clarksville MO 63336, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Great Flood of 73 Volunteer Flood Fighters (within shouting distance of this marker); Eagle Days (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of First Building in Pleasant Hill (approx. 5.4 miles away in Illinois); The First U.S. Transcontinental Flight (approx. 8.2 miles away in Illinois); Floods of 1973 and 1993 (approx. 9.3 miles away); Louisiana Public Library (approx. 9.4 miles away); "Miss Lucille's Garden" (approx. 9.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarksville.
Also see . . .
1. The Great Flood of 1993. (Submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Remembering the Great Floods of 1993, 1973, and Even 1543 (St. Louis Magazine). (Submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. The Great Flood of 1993 (USGS). (Submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. History of Clarksville, Missouri. (Submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Additional keywords. Living with Floods
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 144 times since then and 79 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 17, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
