'Fatal Flood' reprises on PBSs American Experience Documentary on Mississippi Flood of 1927 airs Wednesday, Sept. 14

A PBS film on 1927 Mississippi Flood resonates with the current situation in the Gulf area. The documentary is based in part on Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 And How It Changed America by John M. Barry.

(PRWEB) September 11, 2005 -- Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent floodwaters have had catastrophic consequences for America's Gulf region. The loss of life and financial damage will likely top those of any storm in US history. Sadly, it is not the first time that the region has faced such disaster.

On Wednesday, September 14 at 8pm on PBS (check local listings), American Experience reprises Fatal Flood, produced, directed, and written by Chana Gazit and narrated by Liev Schrieber. The documentary is based in part on Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 And How It Changed America by John M. Barry, who is featured in the program.

The Mississippi River flood of 1927 was of epic proportions. In a matter of days, water had covered 27,000 square miles, washed away 2,200 buildings, left more than a thousand people dead and tens of thousands homeless. When the waters finally receded, it became clear they had not only altered the landscape; they had widened the abyss of race relations in the Deep South, washing away an entire way of life.

Hailed as breathtaking" by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Fatal Flood is a dramatic story of politics, race and honor. In addition to remarkable archival footage of the flood and its aftermath, Gazit has incorporated into Fatal Flood extraordinary interviews with former Greenville, Mississippi, residents who recall the events of nearly 80 years ago with heartbreaking detail. When the program originally aired in April 2001, The New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote, Evocative stories combined with stunning photographs and film footage makes Fatal Flood memorable."

Visit http://www.pbs.org/americanexperience to see original footage of 1927 flood, levee rebuilding, and evacuations; hear first-hand recollections of survivors; compare floods of 1927 and 1993; listen to flood-influenced blues tunes, and more.

###