1931 Yellow River flood
Encyclopedia
The 1931 Central China floods or the Central China floods of 1931 were a series of floods that occurred during the Nanjing decade in the Republic of China era. It is generally considered the deadliest natural disaster
ever recorded; almost certainly the deadliest of the 20th century (when pandemic
s and famines are discounted) and in China
. The human deaths are estimated from 145,000, to between 3.7 million to 4 million.
preceded the flood. By some accounts abnormal weather over central China began in the winter of late 1930. Heavy snowstorms in the winter were followed by spring thaw/defrost heavy rains that raised the river levels even higher. The rain increased into July and August 1931. In July alone 7 cyclones hit the region. On average two occur per year.
has historically been considered the "Cradle of Chinese Civilization". Major floods in this river generally have catastrophic agricultural, economic and social impact. The Yellow River flood occurred between July and November 1931. Estimates of the number of people killed in the flood generally range from 1 to 2 million. Figures have shown about one million people died of drowning.
The river completely inundated 87,000 km2 (20,000,000 acres).
s along the Yangtze River
reported rain totaling over 2 ft (0.6096 m) for the month.
The casualties of the Yangtze River overflow region reached 145,000 and affected 28.5 million.
flood reached Nanjing
city, capital of China
at the time, an island in a massive flood zone. Millions died of drowning or from diseases such as cholera
and typhus
. Wives and daughters were sold, and local residents reported infanticide
and cannibalism
in stark details to the government. Some of the areas affected included Hubei
, Hunan
, Jiangxi
, Hankou, Wuhan
, Hanyang
, Chongqing
. The high watermark was reached on August 19 at Hankou with the level exceeding 53 ft (16.2 m) above normal. Comparatively this is an average of 5.6 ft (1.7 m) above the Shanghai Bund
. On the evening of August 25 the water through the Grand Canal washed away dikes near Gaoyou lake
. Some 200,000 people drowned in their sleep.
, the Chinese Civil War
and the lack of funding, the government only emphasized on small dams along the Yangzte River.
took a trip to the Yangzte River and said:
Scientists and officials who raised doubts, like Chen Mingshu
, were persecuted as rightists. Li Siguang
, a prominent scientist and minister of geological resources, told Mao he would commit suicide if he could not stop the construction of the Three Gorges Dam
project.
The project did not move beyond planning stage in the Mao era due to Sino-Soviet conflicts
and other events of the 1960s such as the Great Leap Forward
. China also did not have the resource to build such a dam at the time. The project was restarted in the 1980s and the dam was completed in 2009.
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
ever recorded; almost certainly the deadliest of the 20th century (when pandemic
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
s and famines are discounted) and in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The human deaths are estimated from 145,000, to between 3.7 million to 4 million.
Weather history
From 1928 to 1930 a long droughtDrought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
preceded the flood. By some accounts abnormal weather over central China began in the winter of late 1930. Heavy snowstorms in the winter were followed by spring thaw/defrost heavy rains that raised the river levels even higher. The rain increased into July and August 1931. In July alone 7 cyclones hit the region. On average two occur per year.
Death tolls and damages caused
Chinese sources usually indicate the death toll of the Yangtze River overflow at about 145,000 and affecting 28.5 million., while most western sources place the death toll from the floods at an estimation between 3.7 and 4 million people.Yellow River
The Yellow RiverYellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
has historically been considered the "Cradle of Chinese Civilization". Major floods in this river generally have catastrophic agricultural, economic and social impact. The Yellow River flood occurred between July and November 1931. Estimates of the number of people killed in the flood generally range from 1 to 2 million. Figures have shown about one million people died of drowning.
The river completely inundated 87,000 km2 (20,000,000 acres).
Yangtze River
The worst period was from July to August. In July alone, four weather stationWeather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
s along the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
reported rain totaling over 2 ft (0.6096 m) for the month.
The casualties of the Yangtze River overflow region reached 145,000 and affected 28.5 million.
Huai River
The Yangtze along with the Huai RiverHuai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
flood reached Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
city, capital of China
Historical capitals of China
The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China traditionally refers to Beijing , Nanjing, Luoyang, and Chang'an ....
at the time, an island in a massive flood zone. Millions died of drowning or from diseases such as cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
. Wives and daughters were sold, and local residents reported infanticide
Infanticide
Infanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
and cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
in stark details to the government. Some of the areas affected included Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, Hankou, Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hanyang
Hanyang
Hanyang was one of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Currently, it is a district and stands between the Han River and the Yangtze River, where the former falls into the latter...
, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
. The high watermark was reached on August 19 at Hankou with the level exceeding 53 ft (16.2 m) above normal. Comparatively this is an average of 5.6 ft (1.7 m) above the Shanghai Bund
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
. On the evening of August 25 the water through the Grand Canal washed away dikes near Gaoyou lake
Gaoyou Lake
Gaoyou Lake（）is the sixth largest freshwater lake in China, it is located between Anhui Province and Jiangsu Province. In a sense Gaoyou Lake is a manmade lake, and it’s creation is part of a long story about flood control and hydraulic engineering in ancient China...
. Some 200,000 people drowned in their sleep.
Republic era (1930s – 1940s)
The Huai River Conservancy Commission is one example of a commission promoted by the Nationalist Government to address flood problems. Due to the Second Sino-Japanese warSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
and the lack of funding, the government only emphasized on small dams along the Yangzte River.
People's Republic era (post 1950)
In 1953 Mao ZedongMao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
took a trip to the Yangzte River and said:
Scientists and officials who raised doubts, like Chen Mingshu
Chen Mingshu
Chen Mingshu was a Chinese general and politician. He graduated from Baoding Military Academy and participated in the Northern Expedition. He was briefly premier after Chiang Kai-shek stepped down in December 1931...
, were persecuted as rightists. Li Siguang
Li Siguang
Li Siguang , is the founder of China's geomechanics. According to his daughter, he was a Mongol in China. He made outstanding contributions to changing the situation of "oil deficiency" in the country, enabling the large-scale development of oil fields to raise the country to the ranks of the...
, a prominent scientist and minister of geological resources, told Mao he would commit suicide if he could not stop the construction of the Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
project.
The project did not move beyond planning stage in the Mao era due to Sino-Soviet conflicts
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
and other events of the 1960s such as the Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...
. China also did not have the resource to build such a dam at the time. The project was restarted in the 1980s and the dam was completed in 2009.
Other floods to follow
- 1933 Yellow River flood
- 1935 Yellow River flood
- 1938 Yellow River flood1938 Yellow River floodThe 1938 Yellow River flood was a flood created by the Nationalist Government in central China during the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War in an attempt to halt the rapid advance of the Japanese forces...
See also
- 1887 Yellow River flood1887 Yellow River floodThe 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River in China. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dykes above the broad plains surrounding it. The flood that began in September 1887 stated the area, killing some 900,000 people...
- Natural disasters in ChinaNatural disasters in ChinaChina is one of the countries most affected by natural disasters. It had 5 of the world's top 10 deadliest natural disasters; the top 3 occurred in China: the 1931 China floods, death toll 3 million to 4 million, the 1887 Yellow River flood, death toll 0.9 million to 2 million, and the 1556...
- List of deadliest natural disasters