Great Flood of 1927
Until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the most destructive flood in United States history happened in 1927. It began when heavy rains fell in the central part of the country in the summer of 1926. As the months passed, six states along the Mississippi River began to flood. As the floodwaters approached the New Orleans area, the levees in Caernarvon, Louisiana were blown up by 30 tons of dynamite. This was done to prevent the city from flooding, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Several levees north of New Orleans broke and prevented the city from major flooding. However, by blowing up the levee, there was major flooding in St. Bernard Parish. 700,000 people were displaced by this flood.