The Great Flood of 1927: A Portfolio of Photographs

Abstract

Folks livin' in the Delta fear two things: God and the Mississippi -Chana Gazit WHEN THE ANGRY MISSISSIPPI SWEPT into the southern delta during the spring of 1927, approximately 26,000 square miles in seven states were inundated. More than 5,289,576 acres of seeded and growing crops were destroyed. Flood waters consumed 9,305 work animals, 26,451 head of cattle, 127,983 hogs, 1,559 sheep, and poultry in the hundreds of thousands. 931,159 people were directly affected by the flood, with 325,554 forced into Red Cross refugee camps and another 311,922 finding shelter in public buildings and other makeshift locations. Nearly all of these refugees found themselves without food, water, clothing, or immediate prospects of employment or financial security for their families. Red Cross officials placed the death toll at 246, but others have disputed this figure as too conservative.1 Total damages, calculated by the Red Cross and county agricultural agents, amounted to $236,334,414 (1927 dollars).2 The Mississippi River remained flooded for over 153 days, the longest on record, and carried in excess of 2 million cubic feet of water each second. At times, the flood crest moved at an incredible eighteen miles per hour. This was America's greatest natural disaster, and Arkansas shared in the hardships wrought by the devastating floodwaters. The Arkansas River was pushing 813,000 cubic feet per second, and the White River approached 400,000 cubic feet per second.3 Although other states, especially Mississippi and Louisiana, experienced extensive flooding and damage, Arkansas sustained the most devastation. The state had more people affected by the floodwaters (362,560); more agricultural acreage inundated (2,024,210); more Red Cross camps (80 of the 154), which cared for a record 143,213 people; and more houses flooded (55,845). Arkansas also led the way with 41,243 families receiving rehabilitation aid as the waters receded.4 The flood destroyed 1,047 miles of road and 244 bridges in the state, with the monetary losses ($1,268,715) surpassing those of any other state. The catastrophe claimed 98 lives in Arkansas, second only to Mississippi.5 In Desha County, the hardest hit of Arkansas's 36 flooded counties, the American Red Cross extended emergency relief to 21,276 people. Among them were the 1,500 residents of Arkansas City, which lay beneath the muddy waters of the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers from April until the end of August 1927. The Red Cross cared for the entire population as the town was being rebuilt. Social and economic life did not really resume until December 1928. To the north, St. Francis County had three camps which cared for an astounding 23,217 people. …