The Flood of 1912

The flood of April, 1912, was one of the worst floods ever seen in the Mississippi Valley.

Heavy winter snowfall melted suddenly, sending floodwaters over the banks of the Mississippi and its tributaries. Levees on both sides of the river gave way. Large areas of six states were inundated.

In Memphis, twenty-five city blocks were submerged, 1,300 people were made homeless, and thousands lost their jobs, as factories and businesses shut down. 

In spite of these problems, Memphis offered aid and shelter to refugees from the surrounding countryside.

To learn more about all of our region's history, visit the Pink Palace Family of Museums, or on Facebook, or at memphismuseums.org.