Repairs are underway for those affected by the recent Arkansas River flooding. Although the road to complete recovery is still a ways off, the worst of the flooding has given Arkansans (and neighbors) a chance to breathe. This 500 year flood may seem like the worst one in history but there’s another flood that caused even more devastation. Let’s take trip back in time to see the most destructive flood to ever hit the country.
For an appropriate musical accompaniment to today’s article, we selected this song. It’s Johnny Cash’s “5 Feet High & Rising,” which is his memory of the 1927 flooding during his time in Arkansas.
Similar to this year’s disaster, the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 began with rain.
Wikipedia The downpour began during the summer of 1926 and continued off and on through April of the next year. Similar to this year’s flood, the overly saturated waterways couldn’t lead the water out fast enough and swells spilled into the neighboring towns.
What sets the Great Flood apart from any other is its unbelievable damage radius.
Wikipedia At one point, the 1927 flood had over 27,000 sq. ft. of land flooded to 30 feet or higher. At least 630,000 people were left homeless after the flooding.
Out of the 10 states affected by the flood, Arkansas has the most direct impact.
Facebook/Grand Prairie Historical Society A record 14% of the state was covered in water. This was primarily in the Arkansas Delta, though other areas were also flooded by different tributaries too.
This flood left quite the bill.
Facebook/McGehee Arkansas, Old Railroad Town Monetary damage was recorded at over $1 billion dollars. That staggering number would actually be over $1 trillion dollars in today’s terms.
Those affected by the flood did receive some aid.
Facebook/Grand Prairie Media An estimated 750,000 folks were under the care of Red Cross after the flooding. This aid did keep the estimated hundreds of causalities from being in the thousands.
Another shocking record was the number of failed levees.
Facebook/Grand Prairie Historical Society Levees were broken in an estimated 145 different places. This year’s flood (thankfully) only had a handful of topped levees.
It’s hard to do a direct comparison of the floods since different rivers were involved, but this year’s flood did beat some of the old records though.
Pulaski County Historical Society of ArkansasFacebook/ The 2019 flood did shatter the record heights of the Arkansas River. For instance, in Van Buren the recorded 40.79-ft. high river swept away the 1927’s 36.70 feet.
The flooding did have one positive aspect, however.
Facebook/ Arkansas Welcome Center at Helena-West Helena The one good thing that came from the torrential flooding was the sudden motivation to create a new system of levees through the Flood Control Act of 1928. The world’s longest system of levees and flood-ways broke way shortly after the water receded. This system, along with the others put into place around the country, were essential to preventing even more damage caused by this year’s flood.
Did you have a parent or grandparent that remembers the Great Flood? Share your history with us in the comments below!
Wikipedia
The downpour began during the summer of 1926 and continued off and on through April of the next year. Similar to this year’s flood, the overly saturated waterways couldn’t lead the water out fast enough and swells spilled into the neighboring towns.
At one point, the 1927 flood had over 27,000 sq. ft. of land flooded to 30 feet or higher. At least 630,000 people were left homeless after the flooding.
Facebook/Grand Prairie Historical Society
A record 14% of the state was covered in water. This was primarily in the Arkansas Delta, though other areas were also flooded by different tributaries too.
Facebook/McGehee Arkansas, Old Railroad Town
Monetary damage was recorded at over $1 billion dollars. That staggering number would actually be over $1 trillion dollars in today’s terms.
Facebook/Grand Prairie Media
An estimated 750,000 folks were under the care of Red Cross after the flooding. This aid did keep the estimated hundreds of causalities from being in the thousands.
Levees were broken in an estimated 145 different places. This year’s flood (thankfully) only had a handful of topped levees.
Pulaski County Historical Society of ArkansasFacebook/
The 2019 flood did shatter the record heights of the Arkansas River. For instance, in Van Buren the recorded 40.79-ft. high river swept away the 1927’s 36.70 feet.
Facebook/ Arkansas Welcome Center at Helena-West Helena
The one good thing that came from the torrential flooding was the sudden motivation to create a new system of levees through the Flood Control Act of 1928. The world’s longest system of levees and flood-ways broke way shortly after the water receded. This system, along with the others put into place around the country, were essential to preventing even more damage caused by this year’s flood.
These two floods aren’t the only disasters Arkansas has bounced back from.
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