Didn't It Rain?

It sure did in 1927. The Mississippi River burst its banks and changed lives.

The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States. About 500 people died, and over 630,000 people were directly affected, especially in the Mississippi Delta region. More than 200,000 African Americans were displaced from their homes along the Lower Mississippi River, and the topography and the culture of the South were changed forever. Perched precariously on levees, the lives and homes of poor agricultural workers in the Mississippi Delta were swept away when these defenses were breached. Some maintained that small, black towns were swallowed when levees were breached purposely to protect white towns. After spending months in relief camps, many African Americans left the South and joined The Great Migration. It is said that to understand the South, one must understand the Great Flood of 1927. The Big Swallow is a story about a girl, a dog, and a swirling river.