The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States , in large part due to the Mississippi River swelling to wide in spots . To prevent a repeat of the Great Flood of 1927 , and better control river flooding in general , Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1928 to authorize the United States Army Corps of Engineers to build the Bonnet Carre Spillway ( located above New Orleans and completed in 1931 ) , the Birds Point floodway in Missouri , and the Morganza Floodway as part of the 1928 Mississippi River and Tributaries Project
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Morganza Spillway