| The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was
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| | Political effects Several reports on the
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| the most destructive river flood in
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| | terrible situation in the refugee camps,
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| United States history.
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| | including one by the Colored Advisory
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| Events The flood began when heavy rains
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| | Commission by Robert Russa Moton, were
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| pounded the central basin of the
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| | kept out of the media at the request of
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| Mississippi in the summer of 1926. By
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| | Herbert Hoover, with the promise of
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| September the Mississippi's tributaries
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| | further reforms for blacks after the
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| in Kansas and Iowa were swollen to
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| | presidential election. When he failed to
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| capacity. On New Year's day of 1927 the
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| | keep the promise, Moton and other
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| Cumberland River at Nashville topped
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| | influential African-Americans helped to
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| levees at 56.2 feet (17 m).
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| | shift the allegiance of black Americans
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| The Mississippi River broke out of its
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| | from the Republican party to Franklin
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| levee system in 145 places and flooded
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| | Delano Roosevelt and the Democrats.
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| 27,000 square miles or about 16,570,627
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| | The aftermath of the flood was one factor
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| acres (70,000 km2). The area was
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| | in the Great Migration of
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| inundated up to a depth of 30 feet (10
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| | African-Americans to northern cities.
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| m). The flood caused over $400 million in
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| | Previously, the move from the rural South
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| damages and killed 246 people in seven
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| | to the Northern cities had virtually
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| states.
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| | stopped. As a result of displacement
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| Affected areas The flood affected
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| | lasting up to six months, millions of
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| Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana,
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| | Southerm blacks moved to the big cities
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| Mississippi, and Tennessee. Arkansas was
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| | of the North, particularly Chicago.
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| hardest hit, with 14% of its territory
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| | The flood propelled Secretary of Commerce
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| covered by floodwaters. By May of 1927
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| | Herbert Hoover, in charge of flood relief
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| the Mississippi River below Memphis,
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| | operations, into the national spotlight
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| Tennessee reached a width of 100 km (60
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| | and set the stage for his election to the
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| mi).
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| | Presidency. It also helped Huey Long be
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| As the flood approached New Orleans,
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| | elected Louisiana Governor in 1928.
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| Louisiana 30 tons of dynamite were set
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| | The flood had the unlikely effect of
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| off on the levee at Caernarvon, Louisiana
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| | contributing to both the election of
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| and sent 7,000 m3/s (250,000 ft3/s) of
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| | Herbert Hoover as President, and his
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| water pouring through. This prevented New
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| | defeat four years later. He was much
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| Orleans from experiencing serious damage
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| | lauded for his masterful handling of the
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| but flooded much of St. Bernard Parish.
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| | refugee camps, but later concerns over
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| As it turned out, the destruction of the
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| | the treatment of blacks in those camps
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| Caernarvon levee was unnecessary; several
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| | caused him to make promises to the
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| major levee breaks well upstream of New
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| | African-American community which he later
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| Orleans, including one the day after the
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| | broke, losing the black vote in his
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| demolitions, made it impossible for flood
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| | re-election campaign.
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| waters seriously to threaten the city.
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| | The flood resulted in a great cultural
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| Abatement By August 1927 the flood
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| | output as well, inspiring a great deal of
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| subsided.
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| | folklore and folk music. Charlie Patton,
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| During the disaster 700,000 people were
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| | Bessie Smith and many other Delta blues
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| displaced, including 330,000
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| | musicians wrote numerous songs about the
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| African-Americans who were moved to 154
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| | flood; Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927"
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| relief camps. Over 13,000 evacuees near
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| | was also based on the events of the
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| Greenville, Mississippi were gathered
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| | flood. Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis
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| from area farms and evacuated to the
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| | Minnie's "When the Levee Breaks" was
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| crest of an unbroken levee, and stranded
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| | reworked by Led Zeppelin, and became one
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| there for days without food or clean
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| | of that group's most famous songs.
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| water, while boats arrived to evacuate
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| | William Faulkner's short story "Old Man"
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| white women and children. Many
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| | (in the book, Wild Palms) was about a
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| African-Americans were detained and
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| | prison break from Parchman Penetentiary
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| forced to labor at gunpoint during flood
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| | during the flood.
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| relief efforts.
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