In 1937 the Ohio River went 14 feet over Portsmouth's floodwall — and floods keep coming. Integrity Water Damage Restoration Ohio offers 24/7 emergency restoration. Call (614) 956-3233.
Water Emergency Right Now?
Do these five things first — then let us take it from there.
- Stay safe first. Don't walk through standing water if the power may be on — and never touch submerged outlets, panels, or appliances.
- Stop the source if you can. Shut the main water valve for a burst pipe or appliance leak. For storm flooding, focus on safety, not the water.
- Call (614) 956-3233 now. Our dispatchers answer 24/7 and can talk you through the next steps while a crew rolls.
- Move what matters. Lift rugs, electronics, and furniture legs out of the water if it's safe to do so — every inch helps.
- Don't wait on drying. Mold can start within 24–48 hours. Fast professional drying is the difference between a cleanup and a rebuild.
01January 1937: The Flood That Went 14 Feet Over the Wall
Portsmouth's flood story has a before and an after, and the dividing line is January 1937. That month the Ohio River rose to a level that overtopped the city's famous 60-foot floodwall by more than 14 feet — the defining disaster for the entire Ohio River corridor, leaving some 12,000 people homeless in Ironton alone and causing destruction up and down the valley.
In response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the system that still protects Portsmouth today: floodwalls, levees, and pump stations constructed in the early 1940s. But the walls created their own water-damage mechanic — one that matters more to homeowners than any historic crest. When the river rises and the gates are sealed, storm sewers can backflow into basements before any overtopping happens, and the sealed city depends on pump stations for interior drainage. That's the flood most Portsmouth homeowners actually experience: not the river at record stage, but a summer cloudburst with the gates closed, water ponding in low spots, and sewage-tinged backup pushing through floor drains.
Integrity Water Damage Restoration Ohio provides 24/7 emergency water damage restoration across Portsmouth and Scioto County: flood extraction, sanitizing after river water, verified structural drying, and mold prevention. Call (614) 956-3233.
02The Murals on the Wall: What the 1940s Built
After 1937, Portsmouth rebuilt its defenses for the catastrophe it had just survived. The city built 20-foot concrete floodwalls — 2,000 feet of wall along the riverfront between Front Street and the river, completed in 1947. The wall has held since.
And then the city did something no other river town did: it turned the floodwall into art. Since 1993, the walls have carried the famous floodwall murals — more than 55 paintings by artist Robert Dafford covering 2,000 years of history, described as the largest continuous work of art by a single artist in the world. (The idea itself came from Steubenville, whose own post-1937 floodwall murals inspired Portsmouth's Dr. Chaboudy to launch the project in 1992.) Visitors come from across the country to see them.
The murals are beautiful. They're also a reminder, painted on the very structure that exists because the river once went 14 feet over the last one. Living in Portsmouth means living with the river — and respecting what it has done before.
03Two Rivers at Your Doorstep
Portsmouth sits at the mouth of the Scioto River on the Ohio — a two-river confluence where flood risks compound. An Ohio River rise backs water up the Scioto; a Scioto surge piles into an already-high Ohio. The city floods from both directions at once.
The record at the confluence is long:
- January 1937: the Ohio River overtopped the city's 60-foot floodwall by more than 14 feet — the defining Ohio River corridor disaster.
- Early 1940s: the USACE floodwall, levee, and pump-station system built in response still protects the city — and creates the interior-drainage basement risk described above.
- March 1997: the Ohio River's worst flooding in more than 30 years struck the corridor.
- Ongoing: every major Ohio River rise since has tested the gates, the pumps, and the basements behind the wall.
That's a century of floods across three eras of flood protection. The pattern isn't history — it's a cycle.
04Inside the Floodwall: The Hidden Flood
Here's what the murals don't show: when the river is high and the floodwall's gates are sealed, Portsmouth can flood from the inside. Rain that falls inside the protected area can't drain to the river — it depends on interior drainage and pump stations to be lifted over the wall. When those systems are overwhelmed, basements flood behind a wall that is doing its job perfectly.
This is the flood most Portsmouth homeowners actually experience: not the Ohio at 74 feet, but a summer cloudburst with the gates closed, water ponding in low spots, and sewage-tinged backup pushing through floor drains. Old downtown housing and commercial stock — much of it with basements and aging laterals — takes the hit. Interior-drainage flooding is still flooding: it still ruins drywall, still grows mold in 24–48 hours, and still needs professional extraction and drying.
More Than Water Removal
Water is only the first problem. Here's what we actually fix when we walk through your door.
Structural Damage
Standing water weakens framing, subfloors, and foundations. Fast extraction stops a small leak from becoming a structural repair.
Mold Growth
Mold can colonize damp drywall within 48 hours. We dry to verified moisture standards and treat surfaces to prevent regrowth.
Health Risks
Sewage backups and long-standing water carry bacteria and contaminants. We clean and sanitize until the space is safe again.
Lingering Odors
A musty smell means moisture is still hiding somewhere. We find the source, dry it completely, and deodorize — never just mask it.
Ruined Floors & Walls
Buckled hardwood, swollen drywall, peeling paint. We remove what can't be saved and rebuild what matters, start to finish.
Insurance Stress
Claims stall on thin documentation. We photograph everything, log moisture readings daily, and deliver adjuster-ready reports.
05After the River Recedes: What Portsmouth Homes Need
River water is never just water. Ohio River floodwater carries sewage, fuel, chemicals, and debris — it's contaminated, and everything porous it touches (drywall, insulation, carpet, subflooring) generally must be removed, not dried. Our process for Portsmouth flood recovery:
- Emergency extraction — truck-mounted removal of standing water, 24/7 dispatch at (614) 956-3233.
- Contaminated-material removal — flood-soaked porous materials cut out and disposed of safely.
- Sanitizing — antimicrobial treatment of all affected surfaces.
- Verified structural drying — industrial dehumidification with daily moisture readings until framing tests dry.
- Mold prevention — treatment inside the critical window, before growth takes hold.
- Documented rebuild — with photos and moisture logs formatted for your flood-insurance adjuster.
First steps right now: stay out of floodwater (assume contamination) → shut off power to affected areas from a dry location → call (614) 956-3233 → photograph everything before cleanup → don't run household fans on contaminated areas.
06CTA Blocks
Portsmouth Flooding? Call Now — 24/7. The river went 14 feet over the wall in 1937 — and it flooded again in 1997 and 2018. Integrity Water Damage Restoration Ohio provides 24/7 emergency flood extraction, contaminated-water cleanup, and verified structural drying across Portsmouth and Scioto County. Call (614) 956-3233 for immediate response.
Free Moisture Inspection — Portsmouth & Scioto County Old flood stains? A musty basement that never quite dried? Suspect damage hiding behind finished walls? We'll measure moisture and give you an honest assessment — free. Serving Portsmouth, Wheelersburg, Lucasville, and surrounding communities. Call (614) 956-3233.
Our Restoration Process
A disciplined, four-step method — no guesswork, no shortcuts, no surprises.
Rapid Assessment
We inspect on arrival, map hidden moisture with meters and thermal imaging, and lay out a clear plan before any work starts.
Water Extraction
Truck-mounted and portable extractors pull standing water fast — the single biggest factor in limiting total damage.
Drying & Dehumidification
Commercial air movers and dehumidifiers run under daily monitoring until every material reaches verified dry standard.
Cleaning & Restoration
Sanitizing, odor removal, drywall, flooring, and paint — your property restored by one accountable crew.
“Every hour water sits, the damage — and the bill — grows.”
Call (614) 956-3233 — We Answer 24/7Why Ohio Homeowners Call Us First
- 24/7 live dispatch — a real person answers, day or night, holidays included
- 60-minute emergency response goal across our Ohio service area
- Upfront, honest pricing explained before work begins
- Insurance-ready documentation — photos, moisture logs, line-item reports
- Mold prevention built in — antimicrobial treatment on every drying job
- One accountable crew from emergency extraction to final repairs
Water Damage Can't Wait — Neither Do We
Our Ohio crews are on call 24/7 for emergency water extraction and drying.
Call (614) 956-3233 Now?Frequently Asked Questions — Water Damage in Portsmouth
Yes. The wall manages Ohio River flooding, but it doesn't stop interior-drainage flooding when gates are sealed, Scioto backwater, or flash flooding — and the 1997 and 2018 floods both hit the region with the modern wall in place. If you're in a mapped flood zone, flood insurance is required by most lenders; even outside it, the 2018 event showed the river's cycle continues.
River floodwater is contaminated — porous materials (drywall, insulation, carpet, padding) that absorbed it should be removed, not just dried. Structural framing can usually be sanitized and dried in place. Call (614) 956-3233 for an honest assessment; we'll tell you what can be saved.
Completely different coverage. River flooding is "flood" — covered only by a separate NFIP flood policy. A burst pipe is typically covered under standard homeowners insurance. Sewer backup needs its own endorsement. Portsmouth homeowners can face all three; talk to your agent about each.
Mold can begin within 24–48 hours of water exposure — and contaminated floodwater accelerates the timeline. Professional extraction, sanitizing, and drying on day one is critical. Call (614) 956-3233 24/7.
Yes — Portsmouth, Wheelersburg, Lucasville, South Shore (KY side), and surrounding river communities. Call (614) 956-3233 24/7.
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