In 1993 , the Mississippi River flood devastated seventeen thousand square miles of land , spanning across nine states . It was the worst flooding epidemic in the history of the United States . It is also referred to as a hundred year flood because the likelihood for it to occur is one in one hundred in any year . Over fifty people died due to the flooding , as well as profound home damage and economic losses totaling $ 10-12 billion . Twenty percent of the population that surrounded the flood area have since left due economic hardship or personal troubles . Today , the Mississippi River System is a deeply orchestrated natural trademark in the United States
Mississippi River flood
Great Flood of 1993
Mississippi River System