Louisville sits on the Ohio River, which rose to catastrophic, record-setting levels during the Great Flood of 1937, when weeks of sustained heavy rain across the wider Ohio Valley inundated much of the city and displaced most of its population, a defining event that led to a massive floodwall and pump-station system still protecting the city today. Under normal conditions Louisville receives around 1,190 mm (about 47 inches) of rain a year, with a spring peak in severe thunderstorm activity. Because that historic flood showed how far conditions can exceed any seasonal average, and because the city’s flood defenses depend on active monitoring, radar tracking of approaching heavy rain remains a genuinely important tool. NWS Doppler radar KLVX (Louisville) covers the region.
Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map