Flooding forces Devin Brown to cancel his Mississippi hike

After 29 days of active paddling on her historic “Source to Sea” voyage, in which she covered well over 1,000 miles, Devin Brown had to abandon her goal of becoming the first black woman to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River, from its headwaters in Minnesota at Lake Itasca to Mile Zero in the Gulf of Mexico.

This summer, the Mississippi River and many of its tributaries experienced flooding of unprecedented magnitude, some reaching or exceeding record levels. Many locks and dams have been closed in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. With no end to the rains in sight, these conditions are far too dangerous to continue.

Brown took four days off during the trip, three of which she spent celebrating her son’s graduation, and paddled up to 60 miles in a single day.

Places she passed during her final week on the river included the cities of Dubuque, Iowa; the Quad Cities (Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline and Rock Island); New Boston, Illinois; Muscatine, Iowa; Burlington, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and her final stop was Hannibal, Missouri, the birthplace of Mark Twain.

Brown, who plans to face the river again in the future, shared the following statement with those who have supported her along the way:

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“Hello! Thank you for your support on this journey. Every morning at 4:30/5am the river called me. I could feel its current throughout my body and it invited me into its waters. On Saturday, after a day of wreckage paddling from Quincy, Illinois to Hannibal, Missouri, the river’s call was no longer a call; it was a warning.

“I decided to pause my trip, booked a U-Haul truck and headed home. There was talk of a pause before me, and the river itself confirmed it to me. The dam breaking in Minnesota, the locks moving slowly and having to close due to catastrophic flooding – so many factors, in addition to the communication of the river itself, contributed to my decision to pause.

“Unfortunately the rain is not letting up and I was supposed to be finished around July 12th. I am so thankful for the time I spent on the river. It wouldn’t have been possible without you and I am praying a lot. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I will make it to the ocean when the time is right!!! Until then I am safe at home with my son. Until next time.” – Devin