1887 yellow river flood facts
After Chinese and Japanese armies had clashed at Marco Polo Bridge in July 1937, the Japanese military launched a full-scale offensive into the heart of China, seizing Nationalist China’s capital of Nanjing in December 1937 and perpetrated brutal atrocities against its civilian residents. More than 2,000 settlements were destroyed. 3 1887 Yellow River Flood. Thus, in the thousands of years over which farming was carried on beside the river, the overall picture was of a river flowing along at a high level above the adjacent land. The Japanese then set their sights on Wuhan, where the Nationalist regime had relocated. It was also in China when the dam of Banqiao breakdown happened in 1975. Thanks to the massive property destruction and the loss of live it has caused, the river has been dubbed ‘’China’s Sorrow’’ by westerners. The worst flood in human history occurred in 1887, when the Yellow River overran the dikes in Henan Province. The governor asked his soldiers to break the dikes so that the river could flood the rebels. The Huanghe River or Yellow River as it is famously known stands testimony to this fact. What? It is impossible to provide an accurate estimate for the death toll caused by the 1931 Yangzi-Huai Flood. When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. The 1938 Yellow River flood (traditional Chinese: 花園口決隄事件; simplified Chinese: 花园口决堤事件; pinyin: huāyuán kǒu juédī shìjiàn, literally "Huayuankou embankment breach incident") 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 Japanese forces. The Yellow River overtopped its dikes in Henan Province in the lower reaches of the river. 1887 Yellow River oversvømmelse - 1887 Yellow River flood. #3. Yellow River Flood of 1887 When? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Your email address will not be published. Floods and droughts on China's Yellow River. One report described the situation as thousands of people all around, stunned and hungry, crying out for food. As it dried out, the whole region looked like the Sahara Desert rather than the green fertile plain that was there a few days before. It’s drainage basin is over 750,000 square km. The answer in both instances is the same: it is near volcanoes that the best soils for farming are found. Like the Yangtze River, the Yellow River has long been susceptible to floods. Earthen dykes supported by stones were built on the sides of the river and periodically raised to higher levels as the river rose so that river water was always below overtop level. (Sinclair, 1987)The 1887 Yellow River flood is considered to be one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. Another Yellow River flood in September of 1887 inundated an estimated 130,000 km 2 (50,000 square miles, an area approximately the size of Alabama!) In early 1938, the Japanese army launched assaults from the Jin-Pu railway’s northern end at Tianjin and from its southern terminus near … It was slow work for the small boats as they tried to go from terrace to terrace and take people to safety. The flood lasted from September to October of 1887. Foreign missionary societies shared their meager food supplies with survivors but their food supplies did little for the starving thousands. Yellow River Flood in China, 1887. #2. Yellow river caused the natural disaster of 1887. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dykes above the broad plains surrounding it. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. At the lower reaches of the river, where the land is relatively flat the speed of the river decreases, much of the silt is deposited. Facts What is the Yellow River? Yet another flood in 1931 is estimated to have killed 1-4 million. July 26: Esperanto. Source: EHSQ. Some homes were still erect though under water and survivors stood on these as long as they could before either hunger or cold took over and they lost their lives. The dykes on both sides of the river were originally built to prevent river overflows that would destroy the farmlands, the only source of livelihood for the peasants who own and work the farms. and killed an estimated million people. There was very little organization or resources for the rescue work. ‘China’s Sorrow’ had fulfilled its reputation. On the twenty-eighth of that month, a major collapse of dykes took place unexpectedly and water began to spill all over the land on both sides. Yellow River Facts: 16-20 | Purposeful Flooding (War Time) 16. See the fact file below for more information on the Yellow River or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Yellow River worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dikes above the broad plains surrounding it. Due to the low lying nature of plains near the city of Zhengzhou in Henan province, the waters of the Yellow River are thought to have broken the dikes in Huayankou. “River of Sorrow” is another name that has been given to the Hwanghe and it is easy to understand why. The process by which a catastrophic flood occurs is tied to both the amount of silt and the height of the dykes. The overflow of water then continued until it reached the lowest point in the broken dykes. It was not until the early part of 1889 that the dykes were finally closed. Immediately after the break in the dykes the alarm was sounded and a large number of people rushed quickly to the river in the hope of repairing the breaches. The 1887 Yellow River floods devastated the area, killing between 900,000-2,000,000 people. Before the 1931 floods, the 1887 floods was had emerged as the worst ever natural disaster in history. As a precaution against flooding, people had to watch the weather and the level of water in the river. What a curse! The buildup of silt on the bottom of the river, its elevation, and heavy rains combine to make flooding likely, despite efforts to control the waterway. October 3 – Florida A&M University opens its doors in Tallahassee, Florida. The two figures cited most commonly are both problematic. The Yellow River in China has become a classic example of how upstream use can led to mid-stream floods … Five thousand square miles were inundated. It caused three deadly floods in 1887, 1931 and 1938. It all started when the Yellow River flooded in the Northern provinces of China in the late spring of 1887. Yellow River Flood (1887) It is a widely accepted fact that major rivers in China have caused enormous deluge and damage since time immemorial. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Where was the Yellow River Flood: Huayenkou, near Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. The Yellow River has been involved in several deadly floods that have happened in the history of China. The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood. Huang He River, which is also called the Yellow River, is responsible for most hazardous floods in China. The Yellow River overtopped its dikes in Henan Province in the lower reaches of the river. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. The floods covered an area of about 50,000 square miles and destroyed farms, homes, commercial centers and other property whose accurate value is still not known to date. one of the deadliest floods ever recorded Yellow River Flood of 1931 was said to have killed as many as 4,000,000 people after days of Throughout China’s history, on both of its major rivers, flooding has always been a common experience. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. The flood that began in September 1887 stated the area, killing some 900,000 people. The kinetic energy in the water leaving the river enabled it to wash away large segments of the dykes. The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River (Huang He) in China. 2/21/17 - Yellow River floods in Wood County near Pittsville, Wisconsin. It was not always possible to identify the right moment to do this or to get people in place in time to do this corrective work. When the river overtopped its banks the damage caused was enormous because of the advantage of height. Often there would be as many as a hundred families on one terrace. In China's Yellow River Valley some of the world's worst floods have killed millions of people. Deaths: Estimated between 900,000 and 2 million; Cost: Unknown; Known as "China's Sorrow," the Huang, or Yellow, River is responsible for more deaths than any other river on Earth. The province of Henan where this happened has an average elevation above sea level of six hundred feet or less, very different from the mountainous regions from which the Yellow River had come. The Yellow River Flood of 1887 by Jackson and John. In the year 1887, heavy rains poured right through the latter part of summer and into September. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dykes above the broad plains surrounding it. Required fields are marked *. It is often referred to as the North China Plain. That is what happened in 1887 when the worst flood in Chinese history occurred. In ancient times, dykes would often be deliberately broken in order to flood the fields of an attacking enemy but no one was prepared for the use of that same technique in the twentieth century. Throughout most of its history, the Huanghe was not dredged so there was always a slow buildup in the level of the river compared with the surrounding land. The stones needed for the work had to be carried in ox carts from places as far away as a hundred miles. October–December. The river is three thousand miles long, running from Qinghai province in the northern mountain to the Yellow Sea, which is situated between China and Korea. Hanoi And Red River Delta Flood. In 1887 alone, 900,000 people died in the floods. Forty-three hundred years ago, one Yellow River flood lasted for thirteen years. Some of the peasants were able to reach terraces that were slightly higher than the water level and there they waited for someone to reach them. The plain remained flooded until the end of World War II and the surrender of Japan, seven years later. Twenty-five hundred years ago, the Chinese began building a series of levees. Because of frequent devastating floods and course changes produced by the continual elevation of the river bed, … Others desperately tried to stay alive by clinging to straw barrows. -about 2 million had lost their homes. Draining a basin of 745 000 square kilometres which nourishes 120 million people, the Yellow River is the second longest river in China. China’s Yellow River, or Huang He, was recorded as the most fatal flood in the world. Close behind is the 1887 flood, which killed anywhere from 900,000 to 2 million people, and a 1931 flood (part of a massive number of floods that year) that killed 1–4 million people Between 608 BC and 1938 AD, the Yellow River changed course 26 times, and flooded over 1,500 times. Your email address will not be published. People from the city attempted to reach as many victims as they could by rowing around in small boats. Before they could reach the river, the breaks had expanded to more than 2,000 feet in length. When was the Yellow River Flood: September 28 1887. Nine hundred thousand people died, and two million were left homeless. This kind of light silt can easily be dislodged from the side of the river and carried along by the stream. The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River (Huang He) 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. Your email address will not be published. For den menneskeskabte oversvømmelse, se Yellow River-oversvømmelse fra 1938 . Home; Causes and Effects ; Lesson Learned This person is holding silt, one of the culprits of the flood. September 28 – The 1887 Yellow River flood begins in China, killing 900,000 to 2,000,000 people. This flood killed between 900,000 to 2,000,000 people. This they did and it certainly stopped the Japanese advance, but there were terrible unexpected consequences from its action. Huang He Facts The Huang He flows through nine of china;s provinces. The Yellow river is prone to flooding due to its elevated nature. Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre . Den 1887 Gule Flod oversvømmelse var en ødelæggende oversvømmelse på Gule Flod ( Huang He ) i Kina . The land around the Yellow river is very flat and ideal for farming. As the country's second-longest river, the Yellow River is predisposed for flooding due to its elevation. In 1642, the Yellow River caused a flood. In the 1930s, years before World War II began, China was invaded by Japanese soldiers in flagrant violation of international agreements and by 1938 had captured and destroyed large areas of the country. The flood affected 741,000 people and destroyed … Five thousand square miles were inundated. The breaches in the dykes took place near the city of Zhengzhou and, within an hour, a lake as big as Lake Ontario had formed on the adjacent plain. The worst flood of the Yellow River happened in 1887, which displaced two million people and killed about 900,000 residents. Your email address will not be published. La crue du fleuve Jaune en 1887 était une inondation dévastatrice sur le fleuve Jaune ( Huang He ) en Chine . It took some time for the water to drop to this level and then the hard manual work of rebuilding the dykes had to be undertaken. People unfamiliar with life around the Yellow River often wonder why peasants insist on living and working in such dangerous areas. CAUSE The land around the river was mostly flat, so the area was already at risk for flooding from this river. The Yellow River flooded an area of about nine thousand square miles and drowned half a million Chinese peasants. From time to time, however, sudden heavy rainfall can make the river overtop these dykes and flood the neighboring farms. The Chinese government of that time decided that its only hope of survival was to use the age-old method of breaking the dykes. In 1947, with help from the United Nations, China returned the Yellow River to its former channel and two million acres of farmland was once again in productive use. In 1887 alone, 900,000 people died in the floods. What was the Yellow River Flood death toll: 900,000 died in the first onrush and another estimated 1.3 million drowned. In an attempt to prevent the river from destroying their lands and crops, farmers built dikes along either side. It was the deadliest flood in history. Did You Know You Can Recycle These Things? Pour l'inondation d'origine humaine, voir Inondation du fleuve Jaune en 1938 . A total of 2 million people were left homeless and without basic amenities. Tackling Environmental Issues Fearlessly With Verso Serum Help, How to Solve Key Environmental Issues With a Simple Planta App, How to Use Royalty Free Music to Address Environmental Issues, Top Three Tips on How to Live an Eco-friendly Lifestyle, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0pB1qw8SMs. Efforts by individuals and government agencies continued unabated all through the winter months. This disaster helped convince the Chinese people that the Qing Dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven. -the flood covered 130 000 km² -destroyed many stores and agricultural settlements -death toll was estimated 900 000 to 2 000 000 people. 1887 Yellow River Flood. The flood, that began in September 1887, killed some 900,000 people. Before the 1931 floods, the 1887 floods was had emerged as the worst ever natural disaster in history. The ENd! Eleven large towns and hundreds of villages were destroyed. There was little that could be done. Thousands of tons of earth had to be moved in wheelbarrows and, in the process of both removing the mud from their farms and rebuilding the dykes, almost all of it had to be passed from place to place by hand buckets. The river is prone to flooding. It did not end there as close to four million people died in the 1931 floods and almost one million died in 1938. The first is the figure of 140,000 fatalities which has been reproduced in some English language studies of the period. Key Facts & Information HISTORY. Millions of others were left homeless. Fra Wikipedia, den gratis encyklopædi . It took a lot of time because there was so little organization in China at that time for dealing with emergencies. Here and there an old tall tree was standing and people of all ages were seen clinging to branches in the hope that help would arrive. Huang He floods, (1887, 1931, 1938), series of devastating floods in China caused by the overflowing of the Huang He (Yellow River), the country’s second longest river. But this time, it was man made. The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River in China. However, the river flooded again in 1958 due to torrential rains exceeding 100mm of rain per day. Henan is close to the sea and close to the mouth of the Yellow River. A further estimated three to four million died from flood-related, … The Red River, which is between Thailand and Vietnam, experienced its worst flood in 1971. These three floods collectively killed millions and are considered to be the three deadliest floods in history and among the most destructive natural disasters ever recorded. #1. From the top of the dyke the river may be forty feet below, so it is easy to imagine the amount of work that had to be done to build up the dyke to prevent any further breaches. The flood, which began in September 1887, killed at least 900,000 people. In June of that year, a large part of the Japanese army was about to march westward across the North China Plain, a few miles south of the Yellow River, in order to capture a major railway juncture. The Huang He or Yellow River is a river in China that was prone to flooding. The flood that began in September 1887 inundated the area, killing some 900,000 people. Yellow River Flood – 1887, China [Deaths: 900,000 – 2,000,000] Boats on the Yellow River. The Yellow River (Huang He) in China is prone to flooding, due to the broad expanse of largely flat land around it. By that time the spread of disease had added its troubles to all that had been experienced from the flood and the famine. Furthermore, the danger of a new flood would increase once the warmer weather of the following year came around. As soon as the water level became too high, an army of people was supposed to rush to the scene and raise the level of the dykes. Public's Response? One family, knowing that it had no chance of surviving, placed a baby on top of a chest along with some food and a piece of paper with its name, and this chest stayed afloat long enough for the child to be rescued. Eleven large towns and hundreds of villages were destroyed. The same people also wonder why peasants live and work very close to volcanoes. That is what happened in 1887 when the worst flood in Chinese history occurred. The cleanup of the farm fields and the rebuilding of the dykes had to be undertaken immediately despite the approaching cold weather of winter. October 1 – The British Empire takes over Balochistan. The shocking floods of Huang He happened in 1887, 1931 and 1938. The Ming governor of that time of the place called Kaifeng wanted to crush peasant rebels who were led by Li Zicheng. That flood covered 50,000 square miles. Source: alchetron. This was actually an estimate of the number of people drowned, which did not account for o… This made it possible for the floods to spread quickly in the entire Northern China. The deadliest among the Huang He floods occurred in 1931, leaving 80 million people homeless and anywhere between 145,000 – 4,000,000 people dead. The Great Yellow River Inundation In China ’Twas in the year of 1887, and on the 28th of September, Which many people of Honan, in China, will long remember; Especially those that survived the mighty deluge, That fled to the mountains, and tops of trees, for refuge. Many of the people tried to run or walk upstream in order to reach a level above that of the flooded area, but they were caught in the fast-moving huge volume of water and drowned. It was a common experience for workers to see their fellow laborers lose their footing and fall to their death in the river. November . So far, the Yellow River has killed close to 4 million people due to flooding. When the water finally stopped residents saw a plain on which there lay a heap of loess mud about eight feet deep. Mortality: 2 Million. It did not end there as close to four million people died in the 1931 floods and almost one million died in 1938. Excess silt gathering on the riverbed raised the riverbed, increasing the elevation of the water. In 1887, a major Yellow River flood killed an estimated 900,000 to 2 million people, making it the third-worst natural disaster in history. Despite measures being taken by farmers near the river, the heavy rains overcame the dikes and caused flooding that had never been seen before. Yellow River flood Yellow River(Huang He), Lanzhou Gansu , China. 17. Depending on the various sources, the 1887 Yellow River Flooding killed an estimated 1.2 to 7 million people. 1887 Inondation du fleuve Jaune - 1887 Yellow River flood. Over the centuries, dikes had been built along the river by farmers to regulate the rising waters caused by the building up of silt on the riverbed. The overall temperature is quite low by the end of September and on the day of the tragedy there was a strong wind that made everyone feel colder than it was. Required fields are marked *. It killed 100,000 people and affected one billion others. Thousands of feet of damaged dyke were subject to constant crumbling and when wet the silt facing was slippery. Image credit: Faye kao/Shutterstock.com. Every person was familiar with the routine for dyke repair. The Yellow river is prone to flooding due to its elevated nature. This has been especially true on the Yellow River, locally known as the Huanghe, because of the large volume of loess silt that it carries. This is based the figure published in the first few pages of The Report of the National Flood Relief Commission, 1931-1932. Farm work in this part of China is a year round activity. 1887 Yellow River Flood ice caps melt due to global warming soil not protected because of less Naturally, those levees have failed many times over the centuries.