Mississippi River: A History of Epic Floods

2026-04-19

The Mississippi River has shaped American history through its floods. The Great Flood of 1927 inundated 27,000 square miles across ten states, displacing 640,000 people and killing 500. It led directly to the creation of modern flood control policy and the Army Corps of Engineers levee system. The 1993 flood was even more destructive economically, causing $15 billion in damage across nine states with flows exceeding 1 million cfs at St

. Louis. The 2011 flood tested the improved levee system, with the Morganza Spillway opened for only the second time in history to protect Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Climate change is increasing flood risk: more intense precipitation events mean higher peak flows. The river now sees flood stages that historically occurred once per century happening every 10-20 years

. Understanding flow data helps communities prepare for an uncertain future..