This contribution examines the Amite River flood in August 2016 against the backdrop of collective flood memory and public policy. It argues that there is often a stark disjunction between local memories of floods and the long recovery process on the one hand, and the rapid decision making that often takes place in the wake of disaster on the other. It advocates for the long-term historical flood record to be not just built into development policy, urban planning, and construction codes, but also adhered to in the wake of tragedy.
DOI: doi.org/10.5282/rcc/8485