Floods of December 1982 and January 1983 in central and southern Mississippi River basin

Widespread flooding occurred in December 1982 and early January 1983 through a large part of the central and southern Mississippi River basin. The States affected the most by these floods were Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The flooding was the result of two major storms; one in early December and the other in late December. The early December storm resulted in outstanding floods mainly in Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. The late December storm produced major flooding mainly in southeastern Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Western Tennessee was on the fringes of both storms. Throughout the affected area for both storms, many streams exceeded previously known flood heights and discharges, and in many cases the recurrence interval of peak discharges exceeded 100 years.