The Mississippi River always has been a threat to the security of the valley through which it flows. Garciliaso de la Vega, in his history of the expedition begun by DeSoto, described the first recorded flood of the Mississippi as severe and of prolonged duration, beginning about March 10, 1543, and cresting about 40 days later. By the end of May the river had returned to its banks, having been in flood for about 80 days.

The history of levees in New Orleans started in 1718 with the very first settlers building small 3 foot mounds to protect the French Quarter.Since 1878 the US Army Corps of Engineers has had responsibility for flood control in the Mississippi River valley.

The Mississippi River levees are designed to protect the alluvial valley against the project flood by confining flow to the leveed channel, except where it enters the natural blackwater areas or is diverted purposely into the floodway areas.

The main stem levee system, comprised of levees, floodwalls, and various control structures, is 2,203 miles long. Some 1,607 miles lie along the Mississippi River itself and 596 miles lie along the south banks of the Arkansas and Red rivers and in the Atchafalaya Basin.

It's only the last 50 miles of Mississippi Rivers levees and most of the Atchafalaya levees that are destroying New Orleans.