Chuck's Dairy Bar: Through the Flood
The lower Mississippi Delta was flooded for nearly 6 months in 2019, causing havoc to this rural farming region. The water finally receded in August, but the impact of the flood is far from over.
Dating back to late February, roughly 550,000 acres of land were underwater in the rural Yazoo backwater area of the Delta. About half of the acreage was farm land, creating devastating impacts in a region where agriculture is the lifeblood of the economy. While flooding in the region is common, this year’s floodwater hung around longer than ever.
Compounding the problem was a historically high Mississippi River, which remained near or above flood stage for the longest span since 1927. The perfect storm of rainfall and a high river resulted in a backwater flood that’s lingered beyond anything the region has ever seen.
Efforts to prevent flooding in this region date back to 1941 when Congress approved the Yazoo Backwater Project. The multifaceted plan included a system of levees, canals and drainage structures. But one crucial element was never installed — drainage pumps that would push floodwaters out of the backwater area and eventually into the Mississippi River. Due to construction delays, the pumps were never built, and in 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the pumps, citing a threat to wetlands and wildlife in this remote part of Mississippi.
Cleanup and damage assessment are still taking place as 2019 comes to a close. Most farmers weren't able to plant a crop this year, so this flood will change people's lives for a significant period of time. And the scariest reality of all in this changing climate — this could all happen again in 2020.
With very few restaurants in the area, one remains a key landmark for farmers and residents alike — Chuck's Dairy Bar in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. I spent quite a bit of time there while covering the floods.
Chuck's has been a gathering point for generations. The food is great (mostly fried soul food), but the establishment is also a place of comfort for people of all backgrounds. Beyond the cuisine, locals go to Chuck's to stay updated about the hopes of drainage pumps.
Moving forward, I want to return to Chuck's and highlight the fact that climate change is impacting people in Trump Territory — to the point that the conservative residents are willing to admit something's different about the world's weather. The overall story would feature the food, the space itself, and the residents who are so closely tied to Chuck's.
Please see some images I've taken during my previous reporting. I would love to shoot more at Chuck's and approach this piece with The Washington Post.