These are some of the most famous — and most powerful — floods in history. Each one taught people something new about how to stay safe!
🇨🇳 The China Floods (1931)
The deadliest natural disaster ever recorded! In 1931, after a long drought came enormous rains and huge snowmelt. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers both overflowed, flooding an area bigger than England. Millions of people were affected, and the floods are remembered as one of history's greatest tragedies.
🇺🇸 The Great Mississippi Flood, USA (1993)
Months of rain made the mighty Mississippi and Missouri rivers overflow, flooding an area about the size of an entire country! Towns were evacuated, bridges washed away, and some places stayed underwater for months. Entire towns were later moved to higher ground so it could never happen again.
🇩🇪 The European Floods (2021)
In July 2021, slow-moving storms dropped two months' worth of rain in just two days over Germany and Belgium. Small rivers became raging torrents that swept through villages, carried away cars, and destroyed bridges. It shocked scientists with its speed, and countries improved their warning apps and sirens afterwards.
Houses in England surrounded by flood water. Even just 30 centimetres of fast-moving water can knock a person down, and 60 centimetres can float a car! See source ↓
📚 Picture Sources
- Photo 1 — Flood water around houses in England (Geograph project, CC BY-SA 2.0). From Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wharton_Court_surrounded_by_flood_water_-_geograph.org.uk_-_131264.jpg
