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Government or official record

The Great Flood of 1927 and the Mississippi River

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Where this source supports the record

Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.

  1. Natural disasters · 15 April–August 1927

    The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

    Mounds Landing levee breach and lower Mississippi floodplain · United States

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    Why editors use it here

    Engineering history of the flood and the Mississippi River and Tributaries response.

    1. Quick read

      After months of exceptional rain, the lower Mississippi River overwhelmed levees in spring 1927 and flooded about 27,000 square miles.

      Reviewed 26 July 2026
    2. Trigger and conditions

      Successive tributary floods moved downstream as levees failed at scores of locations.

      Reviewed 26 July 2026
    3. Uncertainty

      Death estimates range from roughly 250 to more than 500 because rural and Black deaths were poorly recorded.

      Reviewed 26 July 2026
    4. Why it matters

      The flood was both hydrologic and political.

      Reviewed 26 July 2026