Voices from the Flood

In 2019, well over half a million acres flooded in Mississippi’s lower Delta. It was a combination of relentless rain in the region and epic runoff from states higher upriver. The floodwaters remained for more than seven months, depriving local residents of their homes and their livelihoods.

But there is much more to the story, and those who came through the catastrophe—many of whom lost their homes and everything in them—believe it could have been prevented.

With their help, we present this five-part series, “Voices from the Flood.”

About the project

To document the experiences of people who lived through this historic event, the MSU Extension Office of Agricultural Communications conducted interviews to create an oral history project. With guidance from special collections experts at the MSU Mitchell Memorial Library and boots-on-the-ground help from Extension agents Emily Carter (Sharkey/Issaquena counties) and Sandy Havard (Warren County), the team gathered video footage, interview transcripts, photographs, and historical information from 19 local residents. The project’s files will be stored permanently at the library and made available to researchers.

Because these stories had not been told in the local or national media, videographer Brian Utley worked with Farmweek producers Mike Russell and Zac Ashmore to create a 5-part series, “Voices from the Flood,” that shares the often harrowing experiences of these Delta residents and examines the economic and personal effects of the crisis.