The Great Flood of 1927 and Nature’s Propensity to Create Human Conflict

The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 was one of the greatest peacetime disasters in American history, yet also one of the most forgotten. Failed levee policy coupled with an unusually high amount of rainfall in the Mississippi Delta created optimal conditions for the flood to take place and cover over 23,000 square miles. The flood highlighted social inequalities throughout the region as planters and the business elite exploited black refugees and the poor for personal gain. Politicians, engineers, and the Red Cross were all called upon to aid the disaster. Lack of initial government response warranted an expansion of federal river policy, but the social hierarchy of the Delta remained unchanged for years to come