Mile 680.0 - Whitehall Crevasse
680 Whitehall Crevasse
The rampaging Mississippi broke through at Whitehall on April 15, 1927, and the gap enlarged rapidly until it was 2,400 feet wide, The St. Francis River flows within a mile of the Lower Mississippi in the vicinity of Whitehall, and the great crevasse very nearly allowed the two rivers to come together in a new confluence many miles above the normal mouth of the little tributary. The Whitehall crevasse occurred so unexpectedly that many people living in the area affected had to take refuge in trees and on housetops. Some of them had to wait several days on their uncomfortable perches for rescue. There were 13 major crevasses in 1927, and official reports estimated that 330,000 persons had to be rescued from trees and housetops. Before the flood had ended, 700,000 people had to leave their homes. (Braggs: Historic Names)
Paddler’s routes below Walnut Bend:
Stumpy Island, Shoo Fly Bar and Tunica Lake
The paddler has a couple of enticing routes to follow below Walnut Bend, with Shoo Fly on one side of the channel and Stumpy Island on the other and a fantastic side-trip option into Tunica Lake.
Follow the main channel of the river bouncing back and forth in between Shoo Fly Bar, Harbert Point and Stumpy Island. The St. Francis River confluence is two miles below Stumpy Island.