For other "Great Floods" of 1927, see Great Flood of 1927.
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Mississippi River Flood of 1927 showing flooded areas and relief operation
Meteorological history
Duration
1926–1929
Flood
Overall effects
Fatalities
About 500
Areas affected
Particularly Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi – along with Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with 27,000 square miles (70,000 km2) inundated in depths of up to 30 feet (9 m) over the course of several months in early 1927. The period cost of the damage has been estimated to be between $246 million and $1 billion, which ranges from $4.2–$17.3 billion in 2023 dollars.[1]
About 500 people died and over 630,000 people were directly affected; 94% of those affected lived in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, especially in the Mississippi Delta region. 127 people died in Arkansas, making it one of the deadliest disasters ever recorded in the state.[2] More than 200,000 African Americans were displaced from their homes along the Lower Mississippi River and had to live for lengthy periods in relief camps. As a result of this disruption, many joined the Great Migration from the South to the industrial cities of the North and the Midwest; the migrants preferred to move, rather than return to rural agricultural labor.[3]
To prevent future floods, the federal government built the world's longest system of levees and floodways. Then-Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover's handling of the crisis gave him a positive nationwide reputation, helping pave the way to his election as U.S. President in 1928. Political turmoil from the disaster at the state level aided the election of Huey Long as governor in Louisiana.[citation needed]
^Watkins, T.H. (13 April 1997). "Boiling Over". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
^"These Natural Disasters Can Occur in Arkansas! Are You Prepared? - Crisis Equipped". crisisequipped.com. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
^Richard Hornbeck and Suresh Naidu, "When the levee breaks: black migration and economic development in the American South." American Economic Review 104.3 (2014): 963–990.
and 24 Related for: Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 information
The GreatMississippiFloodof1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with 27,000 square miles (70,000 km2) inundated...
The GreatFloodof 1993 (or GreatMississippi and Missouri Rivers Floodof 1993) was a flood that occurred in the Midwestern United States, along the Mississippi...
The Mississippi River and its tributaries have flooded on numerous occasions. This is a list of major floods. Hernando de Soto's party was passing through...
"Louisiana 1927" is a 1974 song written and recorded by Randy Newman on the album Good Old Boys. It tells the story of the GreatMississippiFloodof1927 which...
The GreatFloodof1927 was a flooding event in Vermont, and some parts of the bordering states. In early November 1927, heavy rainfall across New England...
lyrics reflect experiences during the upheaval caused by the GreatMississippiFloodof1927. "When the Levee Breaks" was re-worked by English rock group...
of air travel and radio. He led the federal response to the GreatMississippiFloodof1927. Hoover won the Republican nomination in the 1928 presidential...
them. During the GreatMississippiFloodof1927, Percy appointed his son, William Alexander Percy, to direct the work of thousands of black laborers on...
the high water mark on river gage reading was 48.6 feet. GreatMississippiFloodof1927flooded the areas along the Ouachita Rivers along with many other...
Depot also has exhibits on the history of the Mississippi River including the GreatMississippiFloodof1927 and exhibits on Delta agriculture and Native...
exclusively at controlling floods. The GreatMississippiFloodof1927 led to substantial flood control funding. And a series offloods in 1935 and 1936 across...
song is about the GreatMississippiFloodof1927 and how it affected residents of the Mississippi Delta, particularly the mistreatment of African Americans...
Levee Breaks" by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie about the GreatMississippiFloodof1927. The documentary was screened at the 63rd Venice International...
desiccation of the underlying organic soils. After the GreatMississippiFloodof1927, United States Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1928 which...
and reinforcing levees for years, the GreatMississippiFloodof1927 broke through and caused massive floodingof 27,000 square miles (70,000 km2) throughout...
by flooding. Mississippi River Floodof 1825. The floodof 1825 is the last known inundation of New Orleans due to spring floodingGreatMississippi River...
Louisiana floods may refer to several events throughout Louisiana history: GreatMississippiFloodof1927 - The worst river flood in U.S. history caused...
Global Information