The world has experienced many catastrophes over the past years that have affected many economies in very negative ways. These disasters range from hunger and drought to earthquakes and landslides. However, one such catastrophe that has been experienced in most parts of the world is flooding. Many lives have been lost, a lot of property destroyed, and resources depleted as a result of floods. One such incident of a flood that remains embedded in the minds of many is the 1931 China flood that has gone down in the history books as the most destructive water-related disaster of the 20th century and perhaps ever. This paper looks at the onset of the flood and its impact on the nation as a whole.
Onset of the Flood
In the prior years to 1931, China had experienced a very long period drought (Courtney, 2016). The drought had become a big issue in China, and this pushed the then government to fight hard to ensure its citizens did not succumb to the disaster. However, in the winter of 1930, the country started having a change in weather patterns, and it was predicted that they would receive massive rains (Courtney, 2016). Cyclones also became quite rampant in early 1931 with a count of nine whereas only two used to occur yearly (Courtney, 2016).
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During the summer of 1931, China experienced massive rains that set a record for the largest amount of rains ever to be experienced in the country (Courtney, 2016). This rains successively led to the filling of the three main rivers in China to the bank. The rivers, namely; the Yangtze, the Huang, and the Huai. The Yangtze, being the biggest river in China was the first one to overflow. It is found in Southern China, a place that is considered one of the most populated areas on the earth. Following the rains, the lake was filled with water much than it could contain. It started in late July when it flooded over a 500 square mile. More rain fell, and so did the flooding increase. The Huang River, which is the second largest in China, overflowed in August of that year covering 34,000 square miles of Northern China (Courtney, 2016). The Huai River also broke its banks and covered areas of significant magnitude. The floods were not conventional as compared to the previous cases. The waters came into the land and receded without dying out for three to six months.
On the 26th of August that year, a typhoon blew across the Gaoyou Lake which is located in the Northern Jiangsu Province (Harnsberger, 2007). The lake had already been filled with water to the brim, and this typhoon only elevated the degree of the floods. Ocean like tides were experienced in the lake which resulted in the breaking of the Grand Canal Levee. Six holes were mounted on the levees and very high-pressured water poured out into the city (Harnsberger, 2007). Twenty more additional breaks were experienced on the Grand Canal Levee in the following days leading to more destructive waters in the province and China.
Impact of the Floods
The impact that this floods were quite gross to China. For instance, a lot of lives were lost. The Yangtze River was responsible for approximately 145, 000 deaths (Courtney, 2016). The Yellow River, on the other side, registered a record almost 2 million deaths with the Huai registering 200, 000 deaths (Courtney, 2016). This was quite a great loss to the country given the loss of such a population which could have been very productive labor. The total number of lives lost during the floods is estimated at 3.7 million which could even be more (Courtney, 2016).
There was also destruction of valuable property (Courtney, 2016). Houses belonging to many citizens were destroyed and most of them were left with no places to reside at. Some of them who engaged in farming also lost their farms inclusive of their crops and livestock. A lot of corporate buildings where companies used to run their daily business activities were also destroyed together with lots of valuable information. Towns and cities too were wiped away with all infrastructure going to destruction.
Moreover, the floods also interfered with the Chinese aqua life (Courtney, 2016). A lot of water habitats were destroyed and millions of fish died. People who relied on fishing as a source of living no longer engaged in fishing because it was quite risky (Courtney, 2016). This meant that they had to source for other ways of earning a living which were quite limited at the time.
Significantly, the impact of the flood was felt all through as it the years went by. There was little or no food at all for many of the affected. A larger population did not have shelter. Some people died later on to do effects of the floods. Generally, the floods left over 50 million struggling with starvation, disease, and in the long run death (Courtney, 2016).
Government Reaction
At this time, it should be noted that the world was undergoing the Great Depression and all the eyes were fixed on the depression. The government of China was busy engaging in the civil war between Communists and Nationalists and thus less was done to counter this disaster. However, on the wake of the flood, they resolved to some activities to show concern once they realized the damage that had been caused.
The first immediate thing that was done by the Nationalist government was the formation of Huai River Conservancy Commission which was to ensure that the waters were properly regulated at all times (Courtney, 2016). They resulted to the construction of small dams along River Yangtze which they believed was a way of resolving the problem. However, the commission was not fully funded to carry out other activities, and this limited its operations (Courtney, 2016). Later on, after China was taken over by a communist government, another unsuccessful attempt to build a major dam on River Yangtze was started. It was led by the then-Communist Party leader Mao Zedong. However, the dam’s reconstruction process began in the early 1980s and became fully functional as one of the biggest hydroelectric dams in 2012 (Courtney, 2016).
In conclusion, this was such a catastrophic event that has gone down the history books as the worst calamity to have ever struck the earth. The damages and losses it caused have far much surpassed any natural disaster in the world. It is, therefore, paramount for every government to ensure that proper drainage measures are taken to ensure the safety of its citizens.
References
Courtney, C. (2016). Central China Flood, 1931. Disaster History . Retrieved from http://www.disasterhistory.org/central-china-flood-1931.
Harnsberger, S. (2007). The Great Floods of 1931 at Gaoyou. About Gaoyou . Retrieved from http://aboutgaoyou.com/history/floods/rememberance.aspx.
