Morgan City 2011: Documenting the Floods for the Morgan City Archives

Abstract

As the 2011 flood waters slowly made their way down the Mississippi River, the state of Louisiana was assessing the potential impact to the river’s immediate neighbors. Based on projected water quantities, officials decided to open the Morganza floodway for the second time in its existence, diverting vast amounts of the river overflow from Baton Rouge and New Orleans into the Atchafalaya Basin and inevitably the surrounding communities. Morgan City entered the national spotlight as the last stop on this diversion into the Basin. As the waters rose, Morgan City prepared to be flooded and eventually was so.