Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927
1927
The devastating Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 did not spare the Town of Vidalia.
Heavy rains and melting snow in the northern United States in late 1926 and the spring of 1927 swelled the river to the top of its banks. Its tributaries climbed to flood stage. The rains continued and breaks in the vast levee system north of here allowed the mighty Mississippi River to spill over its banks into Vidalia, severely testing the strength, endurance and spirit of its citizens. As streets became waterways, many residents evacuated by ferry to Natchez; others lived in tents atop the levee from late May until the waters receded weeks later.
The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, which inundated more than 26,000 square miles of land in seven states focused national attention on the desperate need for flood control and led Congress to pass the Flood Control Act of 1928. This gave the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the ultimate responsibility of Mississippi River flood control.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 31° 33.831′ N, 91° 25.244′ W. Marker is in Vidalia, Louisiana, in Concordia Parish. It is on Front Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Vidalia LA 71373, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Louisiana. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Mississippi Delta. 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 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
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Sand Bar Fight (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. Located on the north side of the Vidalia Conference & Convention Center building.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 1,079 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 5, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
