The River Rises: Historical Floods

This summer the West Baton Rouge Museum will host an exhibit commemorating the historical floods that have affected our area. Open June 3rd through August 27th, the exhibition, The River Rises, features images and artifacts from the West Baton Rouge Historical Association’s permanent collection illustrating the history of flooding from shortly after the Civil War to the Great Flood of 1927 and the last inundation in West Baton Rouge which occurred in 1949. Collin Ritchie’s images from last year’s historic flooding will conclude the exhibit.

Life in southern Louisiana is shaped in both positive and negative ways by the rivers that surround us. The rivers bring rich alluvial soil that yields diverse crops and plays a major role in the agricultural success of our state. However, living near the rivers is a serious gamble, due to the potential for the devastation caused by seasonal floods. This summer’s exhibit, The River Rises, illustrates just how dangerous our natural providers can be.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website