3 — 27

lornajarrettblanchard December 23, 1926

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-6-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 27 Blanchard count from State and locality breakouts below.

—>16 O’Daniel, P. Memphis and the Super Flood of 1937 — High Water Blues. 2010, pp. 1-2.

— 13 Kingsport Times, TN. “Thirteen Known Dead in Three Southern States..” 12-28-1928, p.1.

Alabama ( 1)

–1 York area, Toumauba Creek bridge collapsed, car goes down; J. R. Bartlett, 36.[1]

Arkansas ( 6)

–6 Kingsport Times, TN. “Thirteen Known Dead in Three Southern States…Rain.” 12-28-1928, p. 1.

–2 Pine Bluff. ~Dec 27. Drownings; car turned over into stream.[2]

Mississippi (17)

— 5 Kingsport Times, TN. “Thirteen Known Dead in Three Southern States…Rain.” 12-28-1928, p. 1.

–17 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below:

— 3 Bentonia, Dec 29. Drownings; car overturned in floodwater.[3] [Perhaps Mound Creek to W]

— 2 Big Black River, Dec 28. Drownings in submerged automobile.[4]

— 1 Columbus. ~Dec 27. Drowning, man.[5] [Perhaps Tombigbee River/waterway to the west.]

— 1 Jackson. Cause of death not noted. Elizabeth Poles, 4.[6] [Pearl River goes through town.]

— 7 Luzapallila River, Dec 30. Drownings.[7]

— 3 Silver Creek area. Drownings; train goes through washed-out bridge.[8]

Tennessee ( 3)

–2 Kingsport Times, TN. “Thirteen Known Dead in Three Southern States…Rain.” 12-28-1928, p. 1.

–2 Nashville. NWS, Nashville, TN Weather Forecast Office. “Great Flood of 1927.”

–2 Nashville, Jan 2. Drownings; skiff “capsized in rushing torrent.”[9]

–1 Selmar. ~Dec 27. Exposure.[10]

Narrative Information

National Weather Service, Nashville, TN Weather Forecast Office. “Great Flood of 1927.”:

“December 20-28, 1926 was one of the wettest periods in Nashville’s history. During that stretch, 10.38 inches of rainfall were measured¹, making December, 1926 the rainiest December on record. The result, known as the “Great Flood of 1927,” was the most severe to hit the city since 1793.

“Shelby Park was transformed into a lake as the Cumberland River crested at Nashville on January 1, 1927 at 56.2 feet — a remarkable 16.2 feet above flood stage. Before the water receded, the Cumberland River had at one point enlarged to three miles wide. Two persons were killed, 10,400 were left homeless, and business losses escalated into the millions of dollars. The Ryman Auditorium was pressed into use as a shelter, along with two National Guard armories and an American Legion post.

“Mail for Old Hickory had to be delivered by airplane. One young man, whose Old Hickory girlfriend lived a half-mile across the river, had to drive 110 miles around the flooded area to get to her. Water reached as far inland as Third Avenue, so many stores had to be evacuated. Two steamboats along what is now Riverfront Park floated onto First Avenue, close to buildings and utility poles. With 60 square blocks under water, prostitutes in one house in the red light district fled to the attic. Grocery shopping in some cases was done Venetian style — by rowboat….

“The Great Flood of 1927 ranks as Nashville’s second greatest flood of record. Pioneer records detailing spots reached by the 1793 flood indicate it crested at what would have been a river stage of 58.5 feet.”

O’Daniel: “The rains continued over the rest of the Mississippi Valley[11] through December. Nearly six inches of rain fell on Little Rock, Arkansas, in one day. In Tennessee, the Cumberland River flooded Nashville, and the Tennessee River flooded Chattanooga, killing at least 16 and making thousands homeless over Christmas….” (O’Daniel. Pp. 1-2 of “Setting the Stage” chapter.)

Newspapers

Dec 24, AP: “Louisville, Ky., Dec. 24. (AP) – Louisville, Ky., Dec. 24. (AP) – The flood situation which developed Tuesday and Wednesday in eastern Kentucky when the Kentucky and upper Cumberland rivers left their banks, extended to southern and western Kentucky Friday [24^th] as the Barren, Green and Lower Cumberland rivers were on rampages. Flood stages are expected in the upper and lower sections of the Ohio valley, according to officials of the weather bureau here.

“In eastern Kentucky the situation was clearing in the upper reaches of the stream and the high water was moving down to the middle and lower courses. There was much delay to railroad traffic in the eastern part of the state and a passenger train reached Lexington after having been marooned for 23 hours in the mountains by high water.” (Associated Press. “Kentucky Rivers Have Reached Flood Stage.” Paris Morning News, TX. 12-25-1926, p. 2.)

Dec 25, Universal Service: “…Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee Struck… (By Universal Service) Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 25. – Flood-raging streams strewed death, bodily injury and property destruction in their wake today over Alabama and Mississippi, Rain storms, almost incessant for three days, caused railroad and automobile accidents, and were blamed for at least three deaths.

“Caught between the debris when a bride over Toumauba Creek near York, Ala., collapsed with his car, J. R. Bartlett, 36, railroad telegrapher, was drowned. Everett Bell, youth accompanying Bartlett, was injured in a futile rescue attempt….” (Universal Service. “Flood-Raging Streams Strew Death in Wake.” Charleston Gazette, WV. 12-26-1926, p. 1.)

Dec 26, AP: “Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 26. – (AP) – At least two thousand persons had been driven from their homes tonight or were prepared to leave the flooded sections of North and East Nashville, due to the Cumberland River flood, according to police estimates and survey of the inundated regions.

“Relief work, begun yesterday morning when families awoke to find themselves marooned, is being continued under direction of the Police Department and hundreds of volunteers. Residents in the affected area generally were forewarned and enabled to escape the rising waters, and in most cases the household effects were moved and stored. Ryman City Auditorium, American Legion headquarters, a score of church buildings and other buildings were offered for housing refugees…The city temporarily was assuming liability for stores of coal and provisions for the refugees.

“No deaths or undue suffering had been reported early tonight, in spite of freezing temperatures….

“Late today the Cumberland River reached 51 feet, eleven above flood stage. A rise of another foot was expected by tomorrow, with a crest of 53.7 feet predicted by Tuesday. This would be within 1.6 feet of the highest on record. A stage of 25 feet was reported from Chattanooga, with a forecast of 39 feet by Tuesday.

“Throughout Middle and West Tennessee, where the Tennessee, Obion and other rivers, as well as the Cumberland, are on rampage, losses are heavy. Washouts on state highways, holding up traffic, are patrolled by State Highway Department men.” (Associated Press. “2,000 Driven From Homes as Flood Sweeps into Tennessee Capital…” Commercial Tribune, Cincinnati, OH. 12-27, 1926, p. 1.)

Dec 27, AP: “Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 27. – (AP) – With thousands already driven from their homes and property damage estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Kentucky today were preparing to meet an even greater emergency. General rains were forecast.

“Nashville, Tenn., with more than fifty blocks inundated and 2,500 people driven from their homes, was probably the most severely hit point in the area affected by the floods.

“Four were known dead as a result of the swollen rivers and other smaller streams in the affected area. Three were drownings, resulting directly from automobile accidents. At Pine Bluff, Ark., two men were drowned when their car turned over into a small stream. A similar accident cost a Columbus, Miss. man his life. Exposure from wading in a creek was the cause of a fourth death, a man from Selmar, Tenn.

“Families marooned near Columbus, Miss., were aided by relief crews in motor launches, an unconfirmed reports were that several had drowned. Westpoint, Goodman and several other Mississippi towns reported heavy damage from floods.

“Continuance of general rains over parts of Arkansas had brought the water levels in numbers of streams to record breaking heights. There was heavy damage to highways, livestock and crops. The rivers in Tennessee have caused considerably more area to be flooded than in any other single state, it was believed.

“Chattanooga, Clarksville and other cities and towns along the Cumberland prepared to combat the floods.” (Associated Press. “Serious Floods in Southland…Thousands Homeless in Nashville as River Leaves Banks.” Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 12-27-1926, p. 1.)

Dec 28, Kingsport Times, TN: “Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 28. (AP) – With the known dead in three southern states at 13 and approximately 4,000 homeless as a result of flooded streams, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky prepared today for more rains. Property damage in the flooded areas has been estimated at more than a million dollars.

“Six were reported dead in Arkansas, five in Mississippi and two in Tennessee, as direct result of the flood. Three thousand were driven from their homes in Nashville when the Cumberland River overflowed its banks and the crest had not been reached early today.

….

“The larger rivers of Tennessee still were rising today, but many of the smaller ones were reported as getting back to normalcy. The general condition in Mississippi will be reported to be improving with the flood waters slowly receding. The worst of the floods which have caused six lives to be lost and hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage in Arkansas was reported to have passed.

“The low lands along the Ohio river in Kentucky and Indiana are just beginning to be badly flooded, dispatches from those sections say. Alabama has been hit by the floods in some sections but property damage was not estimated as great as in other neighboring states. The greatest property damage was said to be in Nashville, where nearly a hundred city blocks were flooded, hundreds of business houses and homes deserted and great damage to crops in outlying territory.

“Most of the deaths reported have been due to highway traffic accidents. Scores of minor automobile accidents have been reported as result of slippery roads. Many highways have been impassable some for as long as a week….” (Kingsport Times, TN. “Thirteen Known Dead in Three Southern States as Result of Hard Rain.” 12-28-1928, p. 1.)

Dec 29, AP: “(By Associated Press) Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 29 – The most disastrous flood in the history of the Cumberland river is enroute to Nashville. A flood stage of 55.5 to 56 feet will be reached by the Cumberland here , breaking the 55.3 record of 1882 and all records since the section was settled by white men. This forecast was made this morning by the local U. S. weather bureau.

“The gauge stood at 54.5 at 10 o’clock this morning, a rise to 55.5 feet by noon tomorrow is probable – almost certain. A rise to 56 feet by that time is considered possible. The crest of the rise will be reached Friday or Saturday. The river is still rising at all points. The flood situation is unprecedented in local weather bureau annals, presenting problems in forecasting that never before have been encountered. The river will not fall appreciably before next Tuesday, it is said.

….

“Four thousand persons already are homeless in Nashville and the anticipated rise will drive out thousands more. Emergency appeals for relief funds began last night when $5,000 was asked for to provide immediate food and provisions for the needy were expected to be renewed today to meet the growing needs.

“This rise would probably sever all connections with East Nashville, as only one of the three high river bridges was open to traffic today.

….

“Chattanooga, Tenn., Dec. 29. The flood conditions along the Tennessee river do not improve materially and people are anxiously awaiting the river to reach its crest of 41 feet, or thereabouts predicted by one weather bureau for Thursday….” (Associated Press. “Flood’s List of Homeless Has Gone Over 8,000.” Hattiesburg American, MS. 12-29-1926, p. 1.)

Dec 30, Charleston Gazette, WV: “Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 30. – The Cumberland river, in record flood stage here, continued a very slow rise today in its expansive trail through Nashville, as the slow current glistened against a clear sky. The official reading at two p.m. today was 55.7 feet, a rise of only one-tenth of a foot in seven hours. The weather bureau’s latest prediction was a crest for Nashville of above 56 feet by Saturday or Sunday with receding waters next week.

“Revised official estimates of 4,000 persons homeless in Nashville lowlands, 200 city blocks inundated and 1,500 persons out of work were not added to materially.

“The Cumberland was a mile wide from Fifth avenue west of the river into east Nashville, and its backwaters extended for three miles over the north Nashville and Edgefield sections, submerging hundreds of homes and inundating industrial plants and business blocks.

“Sand bags used to dyke the waters at east Nashville, so far have saved the only eastern approach to the city, over Woodland street bridge. The water, however, tonight was approaching the street car rails on Woodland at that point.

“Eight thousand dollars has been raised in relief funds for the needy, and appeals continued for $7,000 additional….” (Charleston Gazette, WV. “Flood Tides of South is Still on Slow Rise.” 12-31-1926, p. 1.)

Dec 30, Universal Service: “(By Universal Service) Columbus, Miss., Dec. 30. – The death toll in the Columbus flood zone mounted to nine tonight, when confirmation was received of the drowning of seven negroes in the Luznpalia river.

“Ninety-seven negroes, frozen and starved, were found today marooned on house tops and in trees about fifteen miles southwest of the city. Two boatloads of provisions were rushed to them from the relief depot here.

“National Guard troops on duty in the city will be withdrawn tomorrow with the exception of a detail of eight men who will do police duty.

“The airplane which has been on patrol duty returned to Jackson after failing to find a refugee reported to have been seen floating down the river on a housetop. It was believed the man was drowned.

“Waters of the Tombigbee river are receding at the rate of six inches every 24 hours, meaning that it will be at least another week before the devastated area will be cleared of the muddy water. Preparations are under way by the Red Cross to find employment and homes for the refugees until they can return to their own houses. Appeals were issued for clothing….” (Charleston Gazette, WV. “Flood Tides of South is Still on Slow Rise.” 12-31-1926, p. 1.)

Dec 31, AP: “Nashville, Dec. 31. – At 7 o’clock this morning with the Cumberland river standing at 55.5f feet, six tenths of a foot higher than ever known, weather bureau officials did not consider it likely that it would go to 56 feet. It is falling at all points above Nashville, according to bureau reports, and the rise here has been only three tenths of a foot in the last 24 hours.

“The waters of the flooded river are lapping lower Broadway only a few yards away from the corner of Third avenue, and in East Nashville one street car track on the approach to the Woodland street bridge, the only open viaduct between the two sections, is under water, but the other is not and street cars and automobiles are passing to and fro without hindrance.

….

“It is estimated eighty square blocks of the city will have to undergo extensive repairs after the waters begin to recede. At least two hundred business institutions of various kinds have been suspended on account of the flood conditions, including extensive laundry plants and coal yards, throwing many hundreds of employes temporarily out of work. The industrial community of Old Hickory, in this county, is still isolated from Nashville, but is receiving airplane mail.” (Assoc. Press. “River Reaches Highest Mark at Nashville.” Daily Herald, Biloxi, MS. 12-31-1926, p. 1.)

Jan 1, AP: “Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 1 – (AP). – Officials of the United States weather bureau here tonight considered the record rise of the Cumberland river at Nashville over with receding waters in sight. The river was officially recorded at 56.2 feet here today, 16.2 feet above flood stage, making 8,000 persons homeless in north, east and south Nashville sections. The chamber of commerce began a drive to raise $50,000 for flood sufferers.

“The weather bureau considered this stage the crest of the flood and predicted the waters would begin to recede before tomorrow morning. By Monday morning, the official prediction was that the river would fall from a half foot to a foot and a half below its present level and then downward rapidly.

….

“Some improvement was reported in conditions today at Hartsville and Carthage, up the river from Nashville, while at Rome, in Smith county, where the flood was more severe than had previously been reported, it was feared property loss would run high…” (Associated Press. “Receding Waters Predicted as 8,000 Go Homeless in Nashville.” Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. 1-2-1927, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Flood’s List of Homeless Has Gone Over 8,000.” Hattiesburg American, MS. 12-29-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-5-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hattiesburg-american-dec-29-1926-p-1/

Associated Press. “Kentucky Rivers Have Reached Flood Stage.” Paris Morning News, TX. 12-25-1926, p. 2. Accessed 3-5-2025: https://newspaperarchive.com/paris-morning-news-dec-25-1926-p-2/

Associated Press. “Mississippi Streams Continue to Rise.” Daily Herald, Biloxi, MS. 12-31-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-6-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-dec-31-1926-p-1/

Associated Press. “Receding Waters Predicted as 8,000 Go Homeless in Nashville.” Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. 1-2-1927, p. 1. Accessed 3-6-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bluefield-daily-telegraph-jan-02-1927-p-1/

Associated Press. “River Reaches Highest Mark at Nashville.” Daily Herald, Biloxi, MS. 12-31-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-6-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-dec-31-1926-p-1/

Associated Press. “Serious Floods in Southland…Thousands Homeless in Nashville as River Leaves Banks.” Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 12-27-1926, p. 1.

Associated Press. “The Cumberland River Reaches Highest Stage.” Sedalia Capital, MO. 12-30-1926, p. 4. Accessed 3-5-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sedalia-capital-dec-30-1926-p-1/

Associated Press. “Two Drown in the Flood.” Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. 1-3-1927, p. 1. Accessed 3-6-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lincoln-nebraska-state-journal-jan-03-1927-p-1/

Kingsport Times, TN. “Thirteen Known Dead in Three Southern States as Result of Hard Rain.” 12-28-1928, p. 1. Accessed 3-5-2025: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingsport-times-dec-28-1926-p-1/

National Weather Service, Nashville, TN Weather Forecast Office. “Great Flood of 1927.” Accessed 3-5-2025 at: https://www.weather.gov/ohx/greatfloodof1927

O’Daniel, Patrick. Memphis and the Super Flood of 1937 — High Water Blues. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2010. Google digital preview accessed 12-9-2016 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=NXx0CQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

United Press. “Three Lives Lost in Mississippi.” Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. 12-26-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-5-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-dec-26-1926-p-1/

Universal Service. “Flood-Raging Streams Strew Death in Wake.” Charleston Gazette, WV. 12-26-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-5-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/charleston-gazette-dec-26-1926-p-1/

Universal Service. “Flood Tides of South is Still on Slow Rise.” Charleston Gazette, WV. 12-31-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-6-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/charleston-gazette-dec-31-1926-p-1/

[1] Universal Service. “Flood-Raging Streams Strew Death in Wake.” Charleston Gazette, WV. 12-26-1926, p. 1.

[2] AP. “Serious Floods…Thousands Homeless in Nashville…” Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 12-27-1926, p. 1.

[3] Associated Press. “The Cumberland River Reaches Highest Stage.” Sedalia Capital, MO. 12-30-1926, p. 4.

[4] “Two negroes who drowned in the Big Black last Tuesday night [28^th], were found yesterday afternoon when workers cut through the top of a submerged automobile.” (Associated Press. “Mississippi Streams Continue to Rise.” Daily Herald, Biloxi, MS. 12-31-1926, p. 1.)

[5] AP. “Serious Floods…Thousands Homeless in Nashville…” Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 12-27-1926, p. 1.

[6] Universal Service. “Flood-Raging Streams Strew Death in Wake.” Charleston Gazette, WV. 12-26-1926, p. 1.

[7] “Columbus, Miss., Dec. 30. – The death toll in the Columbus flood zone [Columbus is county seat of Lowndes County, MS] mounted to nine tonight, when confirmation was received of the drowning of seven negroes in the Luznpalia [sic.] river.” (Universal Service. “Flood Tides of South is Still on Slow Rise.” Charleston Gazette, WV. 12-31-1926, p. 1.)

[8] United Press. “Three Lives Lost in Mississippi.” Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. 12-26-1926, p. 1.

[9] Associated Press. “Two Drown in the Flood.” Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. 1-3-1927, p. 1.

[10] AP. “Serious Floods…Thousands Homeless in Nashville…” Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 12-27-1926, p. 1.

[11] Had just noted IL and IN flooding in September.