In 1993, the Mississippi River overflowed, causing one of the worst floods in its history. Approximately 74,000 people lost their homes, and $15 billion in property was damaged. Marion Johnson, a homeowner in Grafton, Illinois, recalled, "When I woke up and hopped out of bed, I was knee-deep in water. I had worked my whole life to buy this home—and now it was all gone, just like that."