Spring and summer flooding of the Missouri River in 2011 inundated millions of acres of productive farmland in seven states from Montana to Missouri. Farmers, corporations, investors, municipalities, transportation, and area economies were impacted by losses that continue to affect them even after the waters have receded. The “perfect storm” of record high Missouri river levels and the record high price of corn generated historic losses on many levels. We offer a look at the under-reported impacts of the 2011 flood on the agricultural industry of the Missouri River Basin, and how this event, occurring in the midst of an economic recession, could create longer-term disadvantages than previous floods.