The flooding of the Mississippi River began with heavy rainfall during the summer of 1926. By December 1926, areas were faced with flooding that was well over their anticipated levels of destruction. Into 1927, levees were breached in at least 145 known places. 700,000 people were left homeless, as water flooded over 27,000 square miles of land. Farmland, crops, and livestock were decimated. Around 500 people died as a result of this flooding across the area. The flood affected Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The damages were worth about one third of the federal budget. If this would have occurred today, the damage would have totaled in the trillions. This flood resulted in the Flood Control Act of 1928, which utilized the Army Corps of Engineers to control the Mississippi River through dams and levees. It is also extremely important to note that 75% of the people that were affected by this flood were African Americans. Many were working in the agricultural industry and the bulk of them were of low socioeconomic status. Over 200,000 African Americans were forced to live in temporary housing, mostly in relief camps. Many of the African Americans that were affected by this flood would join the Great Migration, moving North to look for factory work with better pay, and better living conditions.

There were several factors that contributed to the level of disaster that was reached. Certainly, unprecedented amounts of heavy rainfall were the main cause. Pumping systems to get rid of the standing floodwater were subpar. The destruction of a levee to prevent major flooding in New Orleans caused major flooding in St. Bernard Parish. Poor planning for impending disaster also negatively impacted people. Levees were simply unable to withstand the inundation.

This book was very well researched and extremely informative. This book was of particular interest to me in the wake of the flooding that Tennessee saw with Hurricane Helene. It was interesting to compare the response from local, state, and federal governments in both instances. I live just three miles from the Tennessee River, and flooding during heavy rainfall is always a concern. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in disasters, African American history, or those interested in river control.