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Furious floods The 1998 Great Flood of the
Yangtze killed about 3,600 people
Floods affect millions of and left more than thirteen million
people, driving them away people homeless.
from their homes, livelihood,
possessions, and fields. They
claim lives by drowning
people and animals and also
lead to epidemics, diseases,
contamination of water, and
shortage of food, adding to
the human misery.
Central China floods, 1931
In 1931, from July to November, a series of
floods inundated Central China. Unusually heavy
snowstorms in winter, followed by the spring thaw,
along with heavy rainfall, raised the river levels. The
region was also hit by seven cyclones
in July alone. China’s major rivers,
including the Hwang Ho,
Yangtze, and Huai, were
all flooded.
The Hwang Ho is prone to
flooding due to the low-lying
plains around it and the
high silt content that causes
sedimentation on the river
bed. Over time, the river bed
rises and this, combined
with high rainfall, breaks
dams and floods the
surrounding plains.
Impact
The Central China floods
of 1931 killed 3.7 million
people, making it the
deadliest natural disaster
ever recorded. Over 51 million
people, one-fourth of China’s
population, were affected. The
TICKER According to the Bible, a giant storm sent by God raged on the earth for forty days and forty
Yangtze killed about 3,600 people
Floods affect millions of and left more than thirteen million
people, driving them away people homeless.
from their homes, livelihood,
possessions, and fields. They
claim lives by drowning
people and animals and also
lead to epidemics, diseases,
contamination of water, and
shortage of food, adding to
the human misery.
Central China floods, 1931
In 1931, from July to November, a series of
floods inundated Central China. Unusually heavy
snowstorms in winter, followed by the spring thaw,
along with heavy rainfall, raised the river levels. The
region was also hit by seven cyclones
in July alone. China’s major rivers,
including the Hwang Ho,
Yangtze, and Huai, were
all flooded.
The Hwang Ho is prone to
flooding due to the low-lying
plains around it and the
high silt content that causes
sedimentation on the river
bed. Over time, the river bed
rises and this, combined
with high rainfall, breaks
dams and floods the
surrounding plains.
Impact
The Central China floods
of 1931 killed 3.7 million
people, making it the
deadliest natural disaster
ever recorded. Over 51 million
people, one-fourth of China’s
population, were affected. The
TICKER According to the Bible, a giant storm sent by God raged on the earth for forty days and forty
