The Flood of 1927
In the spring of 1927, relentless rains and northern melt caused the mighty Mississippi to overflow its banks. More than 27,000 square miles of land from Illinois to Louisiana were submerged and nearly one million people were left homeless.
In 1928, the Federal Flood Control Act mandated permanent levees along the banks of the Atchafalaya Basin and both sides of the Mississippi River for more than 1,000 miles. Spillways were constructed upriver for New Orleans, where excess water could be dumped into Lake Ponchartrain. These safety measures continue to protect southern Louisiana from the yearly floods, and prevent a repeat of the catastrophe of 1927.
The car in the exhibit is a 1917 Hapmobile that did not survive the flood of 1927.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 29° 55.165′ N, 90° 7.805′ W. Marker is in New Orleans, Louisiana, in Orleans Parish. It is in Audubon. It can be reached from Magazine Street. Located inside the Audubon Zoo. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans LA 70118, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Louisiana’s River Parishes. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, on the Gulf Coast, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Original Teddy Bear (within shouting distance of this marker); Swamp People (within shouting
this page online
More about this marker. Located inside the Audubon Zoo, in the Louisiana Swamp display.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 841 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 7, 2018.
