Much of south Monroe flooded, water reaching as high as the eaves of some homes, the newspaper reported. What the river has done to this poor . And that was because of the elite, aristocratic planter class, who did feel a certain noblesse oblige toward their sharecroppers, but they didn't let that interfere with a fairly ruthless sense of dollars. The Red Cross and local relief organizations set up tent cities and makeshift housing in Marksville, Mansura, Baton Rouge, Opelousas, Crowley, New Iberia, and elsewhere. The parish was created in 1910. 57. And the American people did not accept this. More than 10 inches fell. fpoc . WERTHEIMER: Herbert Hoover was President Coolidge's secretary of Commerce in 1927, so he was the man in charge of rescue operations. An upstream break, on the other hand, would send a disastrous flood into New Orleans. Volunteers from Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Maurice, Youngsville and Lafayette joined efforts to beef up levees that protected Acadiana, he wrote. Daily Advertiser reporter Jim Bradshaw wrote in October 1999 that hundreds of volunteers worked to brace levees along the Atchafalaya River between Port Barre in St. Landry Parish and Henderson in St. Martin Parish. They reneged on all their promises, written promises; they controlled the state Supreme Court, so the lawsuits against them went nowhere. Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline. But in the late 1800s, the Mississippi River Commission adopted a levees-only policy, which entailed the construction of levees that ran almost the full length of the river. I'm Linda Wertheimer. I mean, not necessarily down South but this was a huge flood across many states. Thousands of tenant farmer shacks had simply disappeared. The Louisiana Digital Library (LDL) is composed of collections from many different institutions. SinceHurricane Katrina inundated New Orleans and the parishes to its south, there have been inevitable comparisons between the two disasters. They're tryin' to wash us away. 46, Flood refugees in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on May 13, 1927. He said "I was born in Los Angeles, but I went to New Orleans when I was, like, a week old. Some people got lost in the flood; some people got away all right. Nobody seemed to step back, at least then, and really looked at the whole thing. WERTHEIMER: Mr. Barry, clearly, we're looking at incredible devastation in photographs of New Orleans and the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines: shattered homes, piles of debris that are completely unrecognizable as whatever they once were. It was the mode of the times for yards to be outlined by carefully clipped privet hedges. One day after the waters had dropped to a depth of about a foot, Teddy (who was three years old) wanted to wade using Daddys knee boots. Flood refugees on the levee in Greenville. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1973. That downpour also added more water to the Mississippi River as it rushed past New Orleans. It was not until June that the floodwaters began to drain into the Gulf of Mexico. Mocking birds often nested in the arch. The levees there were under pressure from both sides, and concerned citizens began to buy boats and stockpile food. The congressional response to the devastation, the 1928 Flood Control Act, had far-reaching social, political, and physical consequences in Louisiana and throughout the Mississippi River valley. Go to the levee! Males had a median income of $30,386 versus $16,793 for females. Courtesy Mississippi Department of Archives and History, accession no. Could you tell us about that? Many people of Evangeline are primarily of French, English, and Spanish descent from Louisiana's colonial period. Legal Notices, Downtown Greenville, Mississippi, on April 30, 1927, six days after the levee break. This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Too dark to write, another big storm coming noon. WERTHEIMER: Now when the flood hit Greenville, Mississippi, you write in the book that people, blacks and whites together, took refuge on the highest ground they could find, which was the levee. A new recording of the orchestrated version is included on the Katrina charity album, Our New Orleans, on Nonesuch Records. The water, higher and stronger than any previous flood, soon engulfed a large portion of the Mississippi Delta, covering some two million acres of land in its final reach. It tells the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 which left 700,000 people homeless in Louisiana and Mississippi. Kathleen Blanco not to run for reelection in Baton Rouge, and in lesser degree to a change of party in the White House in Washington. The Flood of 1927 opened the door for the populist Huey Long to make his first successful run for the governors mansion and played a substantial role in the selection of his partys candidate for the presidency. A boat eventually took them to a Red Cross camp where they were assigned to a tent with army cots and blankets that was their home for at least two weeks. . Accuracy and availability may vary. (You can unsubscribe anytime), Courtesy of Center for Louisiana Studies at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, The Evangeline Oak during the 1927 flood. "The merchants worked all day through the night trying to scaffold up their store goods. Also touched upon is the callous response of the federal government, depicted here via a fictional visit from President Calvin Coolidge and "a little fat man," where Coolidge's reaction to the devastation is a detached statement that, "isn't it a shame what the river has done to this poor cracker's land. Some people got away all right. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "We thought it was a cattle stampede. Now, I dont have to take that Latin Exam. And I threw my book into the air hitting the porch ceiling . Your purchase helps support NPR programming. The alarm that the levee had broken was given to the people of Greenville by a prearranged signal, the fire whistle. Jackson was the pharmacist, Edwin H. Myrick,in the 1981 report,recalled. And that was because of the elite, aristocratic planter class, who did feel a certain noblesse oblige toward their sharecroppers, but they didn't let that interfere with a fairly ruthless sense of dollars. He immediately went to work on plans to build a mud box with driven pilings and sandbags to seal the gaps. Courtesy Mississippi Department of Archives and History, accession no. Simon & Schuster Some twenty thousand people were housed in Lafayette alone. Criticism over the handling of Katrina contributed in large measure to the decision by Gov. Lanterns on the Levee. That flood dumped as much as 30 feet of water on land from Illinois and Missouri down to the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly one million people were left homeless. Many of the towns citizens were experienced from previous floods and had prepared their homes and businesses by pulling up carpets and placing furniture and goods on raised platforms above the water that would enter their homes. 543191 [1] Evangeline is an unincorporated community in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. You know, the Greenville public schools actually--while other Mississippi counties seriously debated whether they wanted to teach African-Americans to read--in Greenville African-Americans were being taught Latin. The cost of the damage has been estimated to be between $246 million and $1 billion, $4.2-$17. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. Photoshop 7 and CS, Epson Perfection Scanner 1200U, 3170, 4890, Macintosh G5, University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Center for Louisiana Studies. MORE: What you should know about hurricanes, heavy rain and flood insurance. Some six hundred prefabricated cabins were sent to St. Martin Parish and more like them elsewhere to temporarily replace destroyed housing.". They felt that it was wrong, and looking at this, I think, created a real change in the way Americans as a people viewed the role of the government's responsibility toward individuals. Some people got lost in flood, some people got away alright The river had busted through clear down to Plaquemine Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline Louisiana The National Safety Council estimated deaths in the Yazoo- Mississippi Delta alone at 1,000. He's also a resident of New Orleans and Washington, DC. WERTHEIMER: When you think about the scope and scale of the 1927 flood, I wonder why it is that it hasn't passed into the sort of legend that most schoolchildren remember, like--as they do the Chicago fire or the San Francisco earthquake. Those who had no place to go were brought to a warehouse in New Orleans. Scott Simon will be back next week. A State Divided: HB2 And Transgender Rights, Committee on Inclusion Diversity Equity Accountability, WUNC Public Radio, LLC Board of Directors, FDIC weighs changing the deposit insurance system after another bank failure, Here's what happens if Hollywood writers go on strike, Navigating the housing market when it's unclear when it will improve, Saving endangered bunnies from floods in California, Supreme Court needs a code of conduct, says judicial ethics expert, AI could help reduce military suicides, nonprofit hopes. : Bonnes Nouvelles, 1993-, Louisiana's French Creole Culinary & Linguistic Traditions: Facts vs. Fiction Before And Since Cajunization, John laFleur II, Brian Costello w/ Dr. Ina Fandrich 2013. Unidentified, One-Year subscription (4 issues) : $20.00, Two-Year subscription (8 issues) : $35.00, 64 Parishes 2023. Ninety years ago,the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers swollen from months of rainfall burst through levees, sending muddy water into businesses, homes and farmlandacross Louisiana. Aaron Neville Lyrics "Louisiana 1927" (originally by Randy Newman) What has happened down here Is the winds have changed Clouds roll in from the north And it started to rain It rained real hard, and It rained for a real long time Six feet of water In the streets of Evangeline The river rose all day The river rose all night If the break happened below New Orleans, it would relieve pressure and spare the city from massive flooding. In 2007, the song was covered by Ray Stevens on his tribute album to New Orleans and Louisiana culture, New Orleans Moon. Nearly a million people were homeless. Meanwhile, conditions improved in Greenville once the protection levee was finished. The Flood of 1927 inundated nearly 26,000 square miles in 170 counties and parishes in seven states, driving an estimated 931,159 people from their homes. ", A second current traveled north, eroding a section of the railroad embankment, "allowing the water to go up into the town proper and completely inundate it," Catledge wrote. About 100,000 people in Acadiana fled their homes during the Great Flood of 1927, Savage reported in 2002 for the 75th anniversary. The event, called simply the Great Flood of 1927, would change Louisiana forever. Their intention, apparently, was to lower the level of the river and to save the city of New Orleans. And they didn't write about it. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR will continue to cover this story throughout the day. A new break appeared in the Bayou Rouge levee in Avoyelles Parish on May 14, and a levee on Bayou Courtableau between Port Barre and Washington in St. Landry Parish failed the same day. The river rose all day and the river rose all night. Copyright 2023 Mississippi Historical Society The population density was 53 people per square mile (21/km2). The Flood Year 1927: A Cultural History. Close Subscribe. The Flood Control Act of 1928 authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build levees, diversions and spillways for flood control. "Seeing the dirty brown water snaking through the grass and palmettos was sufficient to make cold chills run up and down one's spine," he said. Most of the refugees went to stay with relatives. Mr. BARRY: Well, it's a good question. During that fall, record rainfalls continued throughout the Mississippi River valley. "Louisiana 1927" is a 1974 song written and recorded by Randy Newman on the album Good Old Boys. [3] The majority of the area was originally settled by French Canadian colonists and former colonial marines (coureurs de bois) from such outposts as Fort Toulouse and Fort Kaskaskia and later included 19th-century French-speaking soldiers and immigrant families. On the fields, in the forests, in streets and yards and homes and businesses and barns, the water left a reeking muck. White people were housed on the fifth floor, Black people on the sixth. It rained real hard and it rained for a real long time. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. They're tryin' to wash us away. Some prominent English surnames include Chapman, Kershaw, Young, Reed, Langley, Tate and Buller. The river have busted through clear down to Plaquemines. The levee has broken.. Here's the latest on Hurricane Katrina. The two floods met just north of Port Barre in St. Landry Parish on May 18. This would give the flood a shortcut to the sea and drop the river level at New Orleans, at the cost of flooding further south. New Orleans-based singer/pianist Marcia Ball also covered the song at several Katrina benefit concerts. WERTHEIMER: John Barry is the author of "Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America." As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,984 people living in the parish. All had been promised full compensation for their losses, but the lucky ones would get an average of only $274 each, and thousands of them would get nothing. 4,500 added to flood zones in Lafayette Parish, What you should know about hurricanes, heavy rain and flood insurance, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. By the next day, most of Port Barre was under about 6 feet of water and on May 20, the bridge over Bayou Fuselier at Arnaudville collapsed right after refugees from the flood had crossed it, The Advertiser reported. hnoc . As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,350 people, 12,172 households, and 7,739 families residing in the parish. As the water rose on the levee, it was the levee guards duty to fill sandbags and place them on top of the levee in order to stay ahead of the water height. Each caused widespread dislocation of large numbers of people for many months. He used a boat to carry goods from the store to their house, which was on higher ground. It was a strictly political power play. In some places, great mounds of sand covered fields and streets. By April of 1927, the situation was critical. It prevented a second wave of rising water in June and with the aid of large pumps the town was drained. All rights reserved. THE LYRICS, by singer/songwriter Randy Newman, tell the story of the Louisiana flood of 1927, which killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands across six states. Some people got lost in the flood. Submit an issue. Article continues after advertisement Randy Newman, "Louisiana 1927." . Hear poetry from NC's poet laureate. Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline. Local officials called in the National Guard to keep order. Greenvilles protection levee north of town did not hold in the initial April flood. Courtesy Mississippi Department of Archives and History, accession no. He was in charge of disaster relief for the Coolidge administration. You know, history was largely written back in the '20s, I think, by people who looked askance at the South because of the blatant racism, and they really didn't care that much about what happened in the area that was most severely hit, which was Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. That flood dumped as much as 30 feet of water on land from Illinois and Missouri down to the Gulf of Mexico. "Striking swiftly in the early hours of the morning, the gorged Atchafalaya tore aside levee barriers and turned its full force on (Melville) today, driving residents from their homes into the streets, attired in their night clothing," The Daily Advertiser reported May 17, 1927. While these levees prevented flooding for a period, they proved unable to withstand the floodwaters of 1927. A boat was tied up at the Jones Pharmacy Drugstore where W.L. The Atchafalaya River forks away from the Mississippi River at Simmesport in Avoyelles Parish. Center for Louisiana Studies Archive; Evangeline Oak during the 1927 flood. She wrote, There was a low protection levee north of town. The 1927 flood also helped propel Herbert Hoover to the presidency a year later. The flood inundated Arnaudville at the St. LandrySt. All Rights Reserved. Their intention, apparently, was to lower the level of the river and to save the city of New Orleans. There were 14,258 housing units at an average density of 22 per squaremile (8/km2). PHOTOS: Flood damage at Lafayette Parish schools, USA's infamous 'Tornado Alley' may be shifting east. Louisiana 1927 Lyrics . The flood took its toll on the trees and shrubs. Evangeline Parish is also served by the Diocese of Lafayette with one school: Additionally, Evangeline Parish is served by one unaffiliated private school: Evangeline Parish is served by one institutions of higher education: The 1086th Transportation Company of the 165th CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion resides in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Please add profiles of those who were born, lived or died in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. In Louisiana alone, 10,000 square miles in 20 parishes went underwater. "A third current struck from the south. With a sea of water in the commercial and residential areas of downtown Greenville, the town resembled Venice, Italy, with its canals. Another flood control structure and spillway was built in the 1950s at Morganza to divert water from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River Basin, relieving pressure on levees from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. "The last trainload of people pulled out about midnight May 16. All rights reserved. Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from 64 Parishes. A night of incessant storms, wind, lightning, thunder and torrents of rain. The threat continued to worsen, however, and state government officials believed the levees would inevitably break. Ewing, Jasper G. Flood damageLouisiana. Adding to their anger, a natural breach of the levees subsequently eased pressure on the New Orleans levee; the blasting had been unnecessary. Sung from the perspective of a nameless resident of the area recounting the flooding of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes during the flood, "Louisiana 1927" features lyrics that depict the devastation of the residents of those parishes in the aftermath of the flood. Nobody seemed to step back, at least then, and really looked at the whole thing. There is a passage in your book where you described what it looked like when the river--the Mississippi River--finally subsided back into its banks, and I wonder if you could just read part of that for us. This unit belongs to the 139th RSG (regional support group). Sung from the perspective of a nameless resident of the area recounting the flooding of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes during the flood, "Louisiana 1927" features lyrics that depict the devastation of the residents of those parishes in the aftermath of the flood. Despite the valiant effort,levees in northeast Louisiana began to fail. Martin Parish line on May 19; Breaux Bridge and St. Martinville in St. Martin Parish two days later; then New Iberia and Jeanerette in Iberia Parish; and Franklin and Morgan City in St. Mary Parish. Nell went through pouring rain to the garden club. Though it and its tributaries were lined by levees, they were filled to overflowing, and part of the Mississippi River sought this shorter, straighter course to the sea. They started to evacuate the city and they evacuated the whites, but the planners got together and decided that if they evacuated the black sharecroppers, the labor force for much of the Mississippi delta would disappear and would never return, and so they decided to keep them on the top of the levee and formed a camp for them for--stretched about 11 miles; thousands of people, many animals, and these people became almost slave labor.
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