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The worst flood in history. The worst floods in the world

At the end of the summer of 2013, a powerful flood hit the Far East, which led to the largest flood in the last 115 years. The flood affected five regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, the total area of flooded areas amounted to more than 8 million square kilometers. In total, since the beginning of the flood, 37 municipal districts, 235 settlements and more than 13 thousand residential buildings have been flooded. Over 100 thousand people were affected. More than 23 thousand people were evacuated. Most affected Amur region, the first to take the blow of the elements, the Jewish Autonomous Region and Khabarovsk Territory.

On the night of July 7, 2012 year, the flood flooded thousands of residential buildings in the cities of Gelendzhik, Krymsk and Novorossiysk, as well as in a number of villages Krasnodar region. Energy, gas and water supply systems, road and rail traffic were disrupted. According to the prosecutor's office, 168 people were killed and two more were missing. Most of the dead were in Krymsk, which had the largest swipe elements. In this city, 153 people died, more than 60 thousand people were considered injured. 1.69 thousand houses in the Crimean region were recognized as completely destroyed. About 6.1 thousand houses were damaged. Damage from the flood amounted to about 20 billion rubles.

In April 2004 in Kemerovo region A flood occurred due to a rise in the level of the local rivers Kondoma, Tom and their tributaries. More than six thousand houses were destroyed, 10 thousand people were injured, nine died. In the city of Tashtagol, located in the flood zone, and the villages closest to it, 37 pedestrian bridges were destroyed by flood waters, 80 kilometers of regional and 20 kilometers of municipal roads were damaged. The disaster also disrupted telephone communications. The damage, according to experts, amounted to 700-750 million rubles.

IN In August 2002, a fast-moving tornado and heavy rains occurred in the Krasnodar region. In Novorossiysk, Anapa, Krymsk and 15 other settlements in the region, over 7 thousand residential buildings and administrative buildings. The disaster also damaged 83 housing and communal services facilities, 20 bridges, 87.5 kilometers highways, 45 water intakes and 19 transformer substations. 424 residential buildings were completely destroyed. 59 people died. The forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations evacuated 2.37 thousand people from dangerous zones.

In June 2002, 9 constituent entities of the Southern Federal District suffered catastrophic flooding as a result of heavy rains. There were 377 settlements in the flood zone. The disaster destroyed 13.34 thousand houses, damaged almost 40 thousand residential buildings and 445 educational institutions. The disaster claimed the lives of 114 people and injured another 335 thousand people. Specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other ministries and departments saved a total of 62 thousand people, and over 106 thousand residents of the Southern Federal District were evacuated from dangerous zones. The damage amounted to 16 billion rubles.

July 7, 2001 in the Irkutsk region due to heavy rains a number of rivers overflowed their banks and flooded seven cities and 13 districts (63 settlements in total). Sayansk suffered especially. According to official data, eight people died, 300 thousand people were injured, and 4.64 thousand houses were flooded.

In May 2001, the water level in the Lena River exceeded the maximum flood level and reached 20 meters. Already in the first days after the catastrophic flood, 98% of the territory of the city of Lensk was flooded. The flood practically washed Lensk off the face of the earth. More than 3.3 thousand houses were destroyed, 30.8 thousand people were injured. In total, 59 settlements in Yakutia were damaged as a result of the flood, and 5.2 thousand residential buildings were flooded. The total damage amounted to 7.08 billion rubles, including 6.2 billion rubles in the city of Lensk.
On May 16 and 17, 1998, a severe flood occurred in the area of the city of Lensk, Yakutia. It was caused by an ice jam along the lower reaches of the Lena River, as a result of which the water level increased to 17 meters, with a critical flood level of the city of Lensk of 13.5 meters. More than 172 settlements with a population of 475 thousand people were in the flood zone. More than 50 thousand people were evacuated from the flood zone. The flood killed 15 people. Damage from the flood amounted to 872.5 million rubles.
In August 1993 in Buryatia, severe flooding on the Selenga River resulted in the flooding of 30 thousand hectares of agricultural land, 10 thousand household and summer cottages, about 6 thousand houses.
In June 1993, a blind earthen dam of the Kiselevskoye Reservoir broke out near the city of Serov, Sverdlovsk Region. The flood affected 6.5 thousand people, 15 people died. The total material damage amounted to 63 billion rubles. Rescuers managed to evacuate 3,700 people and remove about 300 people from the roofs of flooded houses.

People have long built cities near rivers, seas and other large bodies of water. They served as transport, a source of fish, and natural protection. Modern settlements have been preserved in place of old ones. But at the same time, some of them have become areas of flooding that occur on a regular basis. Why is this happening and what does it mean?

Essence

Most people probably know the biblical story about the Great Flood, in which almost all of humanity perished. Perhaps this in itself is an indicator that flooding is extremely dangerous phenomenon, bringing destruction, chaos and death to all living things. They may not look as impressive as earthquakes or typhoons, but their power should not be underestimated.

Flood is essentially the inundation of large areas due to various reasons. They can be either quite rapid or occur gradually. In other words, huge volumes of water end up where they shouldn't be - on land. There are several classifications of floods, both according to the criterion of danger or scale, and according to the consequences.

Quite often, floods accompany other natural disasters. Thus, an earthquake may be accompanied by a tsunami and subsequent flooding of coastal areas. After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans also experienced flooding, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

Causes of floods

They can occur as a result of various events, and this affects their character. If we talk about more or less common reasons floods, they can be as follows:

Prolonged precipitation. Heavy and prolonged rains in low-lying areas create a situation where moisture simply has nowhere to go. If she doesn’t have time to leave, flooding results.
Rapid melting of snow. Sometimes in spring the temperature rises very quickly and sharply. At this time, all the snow that fell during the winter begins to melt. If its volume is large, there is a danger of both local and fairly extensive flooding.
Raising the bottom of reservoirs. In any river or lake, over time, some sediments appear in the form of remains of dead organisms and plants, silt, and sometimes even garbage. This can cause the seabed to rise and, accordingly, change the coastline, sometimes with flooding of areas that were previously out of danger.
Reservoir breakthrough. Any engineering structures built by man have their own safety margin. Sometimes dams fail due to some event, and then a destructive, but rather short-lived flood can be expected.
Tsunami. A wave formed in the ocean after strong tremors quite regularly devastates coastal areas, for example, in the countries of Southeast Asia.

An additional factor contributing to flooding may be clogged drains in urban areas. sewer system, as a result of which the consequences can be much more destructive than they would have been in the absence of faults. What could they be like?

Consequences

Flooding, as has already become clear, is no joke. It has some damaging factors. As you know, water is a universal solvent. With prolonged exposure to some materials, it can completely destroy them. Cracks appear in the walls of houses and agricultural crops are destroyed. Another serious danger is the wave itself, if the flood is fast enough. It literally demolishes the walls of buildings, leaving behind rubble, under which people remain. There is a special classification indicating the scale and danger of each specific flood:

Small or low. They are observed when large rivers flood in low-lying, flat areas. They are characterized by a relatively small scale and practically do not affect the rhythm of life of the population.
Dangerous. Cover up to 20% of agricultural land and quite large areas. Often lead to partial evacuation.
Particularly dangerous. They disrupt the usual way of life and paralyze agriculture, covering up to 70% of crops. Lead to mass evacuation.
Catastrophic. They cause enormous moral and material damage, one or more populated areas are flooded, and there are casualties. Hundreds of thousands of people are being evacuated, and a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe is occurring.

Yes, a flood is not a sudden earthquake; you can often protect yourself from it. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that this is still an extremely dangerous phenomenon.

High Risk Areas

Low-lying areas, near which there are large bodies of water, are the first to be hit. For example, Venice is regularly flooded, despite any countermeasures. The same can be said about the Netherlands. The capital of this country, Amsterdam, has been battling the elements for a long time, fighting the sea for every meter of land. There are also areas in Egypt where the Nile overflows especially abundantly, but this happens regularly and naturally.

There are cities located at the mouths of large rivers or simply along their beds. Their residents also may not always feel safe.

Countermeasures

Fortunately, in most cases, scientists can more or less accurately predict flooding. In this case, the number of victims and casualties is significantly reduced, since it is usually possible to begin evacuation in time. If flooding is regular and not too large-scale, it makes sense to build special buildings: dams and sluices that can protect the city from rising water levels. When flooding has already happened, all that remains is to clear the rubble and save people while waiting for the moisture to subside.

People who are aware of the increased risk of flooding in their area should also be familiar with what to do in the event of a disaster. First of all, it is worth studying the location of the hills and the safest places nearby. If there is information about a disaster, you must follow everything recommended by local authorities. If they tell you to stay at home, you should do so. If evacuation is organized, instructions must be followed. Before leaving the house, you need to turn off all communications as much as possible and secure light items.

Floods in Russia

The areas in the Russian Federation where flooding occurs most frequently are St. Petersburg and Krasnodar region. In the latter region, this natural disaster occurs almost every year. The last major one happened in 2012, when the city of Krymsk suffered the most from the disaster, which was almost completely destroyed.

In 2013, a large-scale natural disaster was observed in Far East. It was due to the fact that in about a month more than the annual norm of precipitation fell over the territory, as a result of which the rivers overflowed their banks. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the previous winter was very snowy, and spring arrived late, so that the hydraulic systems were already saturated. Despite the enormous scale of the flood, no deaths were reported in Russia, while in China the number of victims and missing people was almost 200.

In St. Petersburg, hydrologists have been closely monitoring the behavior of rivers and canals for many years, tracking the slightest rise in water levels. Fortunately, in recent years no serious problems were observed.

189 years ago, the largest flood in the history of St. Petersburg occurred. To commemorate this event, we cover it and other of the world's deadliest floods.

1. St. Petersburg flood, 1824

About 200-600 dead. On November 19, 1824, a flood occurred in St. Petersburg, which killed hundreds of people and destroyed many houses. Then the water level in the Neva River and its canals rose 4.14 - 4.21 meters above the normal level (ordinary).

Memorial plaque on the Raskolnikov House:

One way or another, this is not the only flood that occurred in St. Petersburg. In total, the city on the Neva was flooded more than 330 times. In memory of many floods in the city, memorial plaques have been installed (there are more than 20 of them). In particular, a sign is dedicated to the largest flood in the city, which is located at the intersection of the Kadetskaya Line and Bolshoy Prospekt of Vasilievsky Island.

Interestingly, before the founding of St. Petersburg, the largest flood in the Neva delta occurred in 1691, when this territory was under the control of the Kingdom of Sweden. This incident is mentioned in Swedish chronicles. According to some reports, that year the water level in the Neva reached 762 centimeters.

2. Flood in China, 1931

About 145 thousand - 4 million dead. From 1928 to 1930, China suffered from severe drought. But at the end of the winter of 1930, strong snowstorms began, and in the spring there were incessant heavy rains and a thaw, which caused the water level in the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers to rise significantly. For example, in the Yangtze River the water rose by 70 cm in July alone.

As a result, the river overflowed its banks and soon reached the city of Nanjing, which was at that time the capital of China. Many people drowned and died from infectious diseases water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhus. There are known cases of cannibalism and infanticide among desperate residents.

According to Chinese sources, about 145 thousand people died as a result of the flood, while Western sources claim that the death toll was between 3.7 million and 4 million.

By the way, this was not the only flood in China caused by the waters of the Yangtze River overflowing its banks. Floods also occurred in 1911 (about 100 thousand people died), in 1935 (about 142 thousand people died), in 1954 (about 30 thousand people died) and in 1998 (3,656 people died). It is considered the largest natural disaster in recorded human history.

Flood victims, August 1931:

3. Yellow River Flood, 1887 and 1938

About 900 thousand and 500 thousand died, respectively. In 1887, heavy rains fell for many days in Henan Province, and on September 28, rising water in the Yellow River broke the dams. Soon the water reached the city of Zhengzhou, located in this province, and then spread across the entire northern part of China, covering approximately 130,000 sq. km. Due to the flood, about two million people in China were left homeless and approximately 900 thousand people died.

And in 1938, a flood on the same river was caused by the Nationalist government in Central China at the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War. This was done in order to stop Japanese troops rapidly advancing into central China. The flood was subsequently called "the largest act of environmental warfare in history."

Thus, in June 1938, the Japanese took control of the entire northern part of China, and on June 6 they captured Kaifeng, the capital of Henan Province, and threatened to capture Zhengzhou, which was located near the intersection of important railways Beijing-Guangzhou and Lianyungang-Xi'an. If the Japanese army had managed to do this, major Chinese cities such as Wuhan and Xi'an would have been under threat.

In order to prevent this, the Chinese government in Central China decided to open dams on the Yellow River near the city of Zhengzhou. Water flooded the provinces of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu adjacent to the river.

Soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army during the flood on the Yellow River in 1938:

The floods destroyed thousands of square kilometers of farmland and many villages. Several million people became refugees. According to initial data from China, about 800 thousand people drowned. However, these days, researchers studying the archives of the disaster claim that much fewer people died - about 400 - 500 thousand.

Yellow River Yellow River:

Interestingly, the value of this strategy Chinese government was called into question. Because according to some reports, Japanese troops at that time were far from the flooded areas. Although their advance on Zhengzhou was thwarted, the Japanese took Wuhan in October.

4. Flood of St. Felix, 1530

At least 100 thousand dead. On Saturday 5 November 1530, the day of Saint Felix de Valois, most of Flanders was washed away. historical region The Netherlands and the province of Zealand. Researchers believe that more than 100 thousand people died. Subsequently, the day when the disaster occurred began to be called Evil Saturday.

5. Burchardi flood, 1634

About 8-15 thousand dead. On the night of October 11–12, 1634, flooding occurred in Germany and Denmark as a result of a storm surge caused by hurricane winds. That night in several places along the coast North Sea Dams burst, flooding coastal towns and communities in North Friesland.

Painting depicting the Burchardi flood:

According to various estimates, from 8 to 15 thousand people died during the flood.

Maps of North Friesland in 1651 (left) and 1240 (right):

6. Flood of St. Mary Magdalene, 1342

Several thousand. In July 1342, on the feast day of the Myrrh-Bearer Mary Magdalene (the Catholic and Lutheran churches celebrate it on July 22), the largest recorded flood in Central Europe occurred.

On this day, the overflowing waters of the rivers Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube, Weser, Werra, Unstrut, Elbe, Vltava and their tributaries flooded the surrounding lands. Many cities, such as Cologne, Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Würzburg, Regensburg, Passau and Vienna, were seriously damaged.

Danube River in Regensburg, Germany:

According to researchers of this disaster, a long hot and dry period was followed by heavy rains that fell for several days in a row. As a result, about half of the average annual precipitation fell. And since the extremely dry soil could not quickly absorb such an amount of water, surface runoff flooded large areas territories. Many buildings were destroyed and thousands of people died. And although total number the number of deaths is unknown; it is believed that about 6 thousand people drowned in the Danube region alone.

Besides, summer next year It was wet and cold, so the population was left without crops and suffered greatly from hunger. And on top of everything else, the plague pandemic that took place in the middle of the 14th century across Asia, Europe, North Africa and the island of Greenland (Black Death), reached its peak in 1348-1350, taking the lives of at least a third of the population of Central Europe.

Illustration of the Black Death, 1411.

On August 31, 1703, the first flood in the history of St. Petersburg occurred. The water rose 250 cm above normal, flooded the troops' location, and washed away part of the harvested timber and building materials prepared for the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Floods have become tragedies for many countries around the world, and today we will talk about the most famous of them...

Netherlands, 1287

The St. Lucia Flood was a major flooding of the German and Dutch coasts of the North Sea that occurred on December 14, 1287. It killed about 50 thousand people and left enormous destruction. Many villages drowned in water. In East Frisia alone, more than 30 villages were affected. Due to loss large quantity land and the relative insecurity of the marches, many residents moved to higher ground.

In the Netherlands, the Saint Lucia flood turned the former Lake Zuiderzee into a North Sea bay. Only in 1932, as a result of the construction of the Afsluitdijk dam (as part of the Zuiderzee project), the bay was again turned into a freshwater artificial lake IJsselmeer.

Flood of St. Mary Magdalene, 1342, several thousand.

In July 1342, on the feast day of the Myrrh-Bearer Mary Magdalene (the Catholic and Lutheran churches celebrate it on July 22), the largest recorded flood in Central Europe occurred.

According to researchers of this disaster, a long hot and dry period was followed by heavy rains that fell for several days in a row. As a result, about half of the average annual precipitation fell. And since the extremely dry soil could not quickly absorb such an amount of water, surface runoff flooded large areas of the territory. Many buildings were destroyed and thousands of people died. Although the total number of deaths is unknown, it is believed that about 6 thousand people drowned in the Danube region alone.

In addition, the summer of the following year was wet and cold, so the population was left without crops and suffered greatly from hunger. And on top of that, the plague pandemic, which passed through Asia, Europe, North Africa and the island of Greenland (Black Death) in the mid-14th century, reached its peak in 1348-1350, taking the lives of at least a third of the population of Central Europe.

Flood of St. Felix, 1530, at least 100 thousand dead.

On Saturday 5 November 1530, Saint Felix de Valois's day, most of Flanders, the historical region of the Netherlands, and the province of Zealand were washed away. Researchers believe that more than 100 thousand people died. Subsequently, the day when the disaster occurred began to be called Evil Saturday.

Flood of Burchardi, 1634, about 8-15 thousand dead.

On the night of October 11–12, 1634, flooding occurred in Germany and Denmark as a result of a storm surge caused by hurricane winds. That night, dams broke in several places along the North Sea coast, flooding coastal towns and communities in North Friesland.

Painting depicting the Burchardi flood.

According to various estimates, from 8 to 15 thousand people died during the flood.

Maps of North Friesland in 1651 (left) and 1240 (right). Author of both maps: Johannes Mejer.

St. Petersburg, 1824

The most severe flood in St. Petersburg occurred on November 7 (old style) 1824. On this day, the maximum water rise level reached 410 cm above normal.

Already on November 6th it was blowing from the bay strong wind. By evening the weather became even worse and the water began to rise. At night a real storm broke out. Early in the morning, signal lights were lit on the Admiralty Tower, warning city residents about the threat of flooding. Eyewitnesses recall that careless St. Petersburg residents, waking up and seeing the water rising in the canals, hurried to the banks of the Neva to admire the elements.

But even when the residents of the Admiralty part of the city did not yet expect a great misfortune, the low-lying areas located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland were already flooded. A few hours later, the Neva, as well as other rivers and canals, overflowed their banks even where there were high embankments. The entire city, with the exception of the Foundry and Rozhdestvenskaya parts, was flooded with water almost as tall as a person.

People fled from the raging disaster as best they could. Low wooden houses suffered especially, as they were simply carried away by the pressure of the water. Someone climbed onto the roof, onto high bridges, someone swam on gates, logs, grabbing onto the manes of horses. Many, rushing to save their property in the basements, died. At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the Governor-General of St. Petersburg, Count M. Miloradovich, appeared on Nevsky Prospect on a large boat, trying to cheer up the residents and provide them with at least some help.

Another eyewitness to the flood left the following memories about it:

"It is impossible to describe this spectacle. The Winter Palace stood like a rock in the middle of a stormy sea, withstanding the onslaught of waves from all sides, crashing with a roar against its strong walls and watering them with splashes almost to the top floor; on the Neva, the water boiled as if in a cauldron, and with incredible force reversed the flow of the river; two heavy boats landed on the granite parapet against Summer Garden, barges and other ships rushed like chips up the river...

In the square opposite the palace there is a different picture: under an almost black sky, dark greenish water was spinning as if in a huge whirlpool; through the air.. rushed wide sheets iron torn from the roof of the new building of the General Staff, the storm played with them like feathers..."

By three o'clock in the afternoon the water began to subside, and at night the streets were completely cleared of water. Exact number It was difficult to count the flood victims; different figures were given: from 400 to 4 thousand people. Material damage was estimated at many millions of rubles.

The disaster once again made us think about the need to protect St. Petersburg from rising waters. Various projects appeared: some suggested turning the Neva Bay into an artificial lake, which would be separated from the Gulf of Finland by a dam with holes for the passage of ships. According to others, at the mouth of the Neva it was planned to create protective structures. But none of the projects were implemented.

The development of science has made it possible to more accurately determine the cause of sudden Neva floods. Now no one seriously discussed the hypothesis that the rise of water was caused by its influx from Lake Ladoga. Data accumulated over many years have led to the conclusion that real reason floods - in waves formed in the Gulf of Finland.

In a wide bay this wave is invisible, but as the bay narrows towards the confluence of the Neva, the wave becomes higher. If a strong wind from the bay is added to this, then the water rises to a critical level, and it is in such cases that the Neva overflows its banks.

After the flood of 1824, the city experienced many more large rises in water, but the level of 1824 remained a record.

Johnstown, 1889

Johnstown is located in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1794 by European colonists, the city began to develop rapidly when the railroad was built to it in 1834. At the time of the disaster, 30,000 people lived in the city.

Johnstown is located in the Conemah River Valley, surrounded by high hills and the Allegheny Mountains. The city owed its prosperity to a large extent to the river, but it also created a threat to it, overflowing its banks as a result of heavy rains. Winters became a severe test for the city, since snow in the mountains often interfered with communication with the rest of the world.

Until the historic flood of 1889, river floods did not cause too much trouble in the city. The first flood, reflected in personal diaries European settlers happened in 1808. And from that time on, every ten years a significant rise in water in Conemah caused trouble for the city, but residents did not have to face such problems as in 1889.

The storm, which originated over the states of Nebraska and Kansas, began moving east on May 28. Two days later it hit Johnstown and the Conemah River Valley with a torrential downpour. The amount of precipitation that fell per day broke all records: 150-250 mm. On the night of May 30, the situation became critical when the surrounding small rivers and streams gradually began to turn into torrential torrents that uprooted trees and demolished telegraph poles.

The next morning the railroad track was under water, and Conemah was ready to overflow its banks at any moment. During the first half of the day on May 31, the water level continued to rise. In the middle of the day the situation became even more complicated.

Located 23 km upstream, the South Fork dam could not withstand the pressure, and the waters of Lake Conemah poured into the river, overflowing it, and a rapid stream rushed into the city at a speed of more than 60 km/hour, sweeping away everything in its path.

Buildings collapsed under the impact of the debris that the rebellious river carried with it, and very few of them were able to stand. In a matter of minutes, parts of the city found themselves under an eighteen-meter layer of water. Survivors of the flood had to spend hours, or even days, on the roofs of surviving houses or swim, clinging to doors, windows or tree trunks - to anything that made it possible to escape.

The failure of the South Fork Dam sparked fierce controversy after the disaster. Built between 1838-1853 as part of state system channels, it was sold shortly after opening to private companies. She was surrounded luxury houses and restaurants, not to mention a hunting club built for the benefit of local tycoons, but the dam itself was neglected and deteriorating.

Residents of the city complained to the mayor and the owners of the dam about cracks that appeared in it. Repair work were carried out, but their quality is highly questionable.

The merciless flood claimed the lives of 2,200 people, of whom 750 could not be identified, and destroyed 10,600 buildings. An area of 10 km2 was completely devastated. The disaster destroyed bridges and railroads vital to Johnstown's economy. The damage was estimated at an astronomical amount for those times - over $17 million.

For several months, more than 7,000 people worked to restore the city and provide assistance to the victims. Russia, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Australia, Germany and twelve other countries sent money, food, clothing and building materials to Jonestown.

In providing assistance to victims, the work of the head and founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton, should be especially noted. Work in Johnstown was the first experience of this organization's participation in providing relief after natural disasters. Barton and her volunteers spent five months in Johnstown.

Gaoyu, 1931

The largest rivers in China, the Yangtze and Yellow River, or Yellow River, have long been known for their floods, which have brought enormous disasters. In August 1931, both of them, along with the Huaihe River, overflowed their banks, and in densely populated China this led to a huge disaster.

In the summer, when southeast winds begin to blow, they bring with them humid air from the Pacific Ocean, and it accumulates over the territory of China. As a result, the area receives heavy rainfall, especially in June, July and August.

The summer monsoon period of 1931 was unusually stormy. Heavy rains and tropical cyclones raged across river basins. The dams withstood intense rain and storms for weeks, but they eventually gave way and collapsed in hundreds of places.

Approximately 333,000 hectares of land were flooded, at least 40,000,000 people lost their homes, and crop losses were enormous. Over large areas, the water did not recede for three to six months. Diseases, food shortages, and lack of shelter led to the death of a total of 3.7 million people.

One of the epicenters of the tragedy was the city of Gaoyou in the northern province of Jiangsu. A powerful typhoon struck China's fifth largest lake, Gaoyou, on August 26, 1931. Its water level has already risen to record heights as a result of heavy rains in previous weeks.

A squally wind raised high waves that crashed against the dams. After midnight the battle was lost. The dams were broken in six places, and the largest gap reached almost 700 m. A stormy stream swept through the city and the province. In one morning alone, about 10,000 people died in Gaoyu.

The disaster gave no respite to those who survived the disaster. Large sections of levees have failed again and again, including in 1938, 1954 and 1998. In 1938, the dams were deliberately breached to stop the Japanese advance.

In December 2003, a memorial museum was opened in Gaoyou City, which was severely damaged by severe floods in 1931.

Mississippi, 1927

The Mississippi is a legendary river in the United States. Throughout history, its spills have always been destructive. But the worst, and perhaps the most serious, that the country experienced before Hurricane Katrina arrived was the 1927 flood known as the Great Mississippi Flood.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, attempts have been made to control fluctuations in water levels, and for this purpose, dams and locks were built on the river. At the beginning of 1926 it rained frequently, and the water level in the river rose steadily. In the spring, representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers issued assurances that the constructed levees, dams and locks were capable of withstanding the capricious Mississippi. And what could be argued if they actually created a system of protective structures.

In mid-April it became obvious that the dams would not be able to contain the pressure of water in conditions of incessant rain, and then they discovered that miscalculations had been made and the measures taken were insufficient. Only the work listed above was completed.

No one thought that artificial canals and drainage channels were also needed river water. Even the civilian engineers who took part in this work criticized such short-sightedness, although military engineers considered such measures unnecessary. In Mississippi, however, the danger was real.

Not only was the flood a natural disaster, it also added to the shameful racial politics of the time. In Greenville, famous for its large cotton plantations and considered the source of Southern wealth, Governor Leroy Percy forced black plantation workers and black prisoners to strengthen levees at police gunpoint.

The plantation workers, 30,000 of them, lived in what looked like a concentration camp. Meanwhile, the white population (who had such an opportunity) hurried north, away from danger.

At 8 a.m. on April 21, Greenville's levees gave way. The flow knew no barriers. At incredible speed, water flooded several states: Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee. In some places, the depth of flooding reached 10 m. Highways, bridges and railroads were flooded with the waters of the mighty Mississippi.

In the delta, 13,000 black men, women and children were stranded. The head of the Red Cross department, the governor's son Will Percy, proposed sending these people by ship to the northern states, where there was no danger. But his father and the plantation owners refused, fearing that the workers would not return. At the same time, the white population was evacuated from the delta region.

Along the entire length of the river, 150 dams could not withstand the pressure of the overflowing waters. In some places, the Mississippi flooded 125 km. The actions taken by the authorities were wrong, in particular this concerns the undermining of part of the dams around New Orleans in order to prevent its flooding.

As a result, the water did not reach the city, but, since the dams were destroyed, it flooded neighboring cities and sown fields. In mid-August the rains stopped and the water began to subside.

During all these terrible months, an area of 70,000 km2 remained flooded; 246 people died, most of them black; 700,000 were internally displaced; 130,000 homes were destroyed and property damage exceeded $400 million.

Zealand, 1953

A rare coincidence of the onset of a spring tide and a northwest storm caused catastrophic flooding in the Dutch province of Zeeland. In order to prevent such disasters, huge amounts of money have been invested in the Delta Project, which can protect the Netherlands from the harmful effects of floods.

Over the centuries, the islands located in the south of the Dutch provinces of Zeeland and South Holland have repeatedly suffered from severe floods. Some of the most devastating were the St. Elizabeth's Day flood of 1421, which killed an estimated 2,000 people, and the All Hallow's Day flood of 1570, which killed some 20,000 people.

Disasters of a less destructive scale - such as the flood of 1916 - have occurred repeatedly in Holland. Due to the existing threat of flooding, the dams were equipped with warning systems. Coincidentally, two days before the 1953 flood, due to the real threat of inundation of the mainland, the Ministry of Public Works and Water Management made a proposal to close a number of locks.

By midday on Saturday 31 January, the Royal Meteorological Institute reported a severe storm approaching from the north-west. By that time, he had already swept along the coast of Scotland and was now moving straight towards the Netherlands.

In turn, meteorological services, having received the information, issued a warning by radio and also sent a telex to water monitoring services in the cities of Rotterdam, Willemstad, Bergen op Zoom and Gorinchem. Knowing that the storm could begin later in the night, the meteorological institute's staff took great pains to ensure that their warning was constantly broadcast by radio until dawn.

For most of the inhabitants of Zealand, radio was the only means of communication with the outside world. But none of the radio stations worked at night, usually ending their broadcasts at midnight with the national anthem. At the radio station in Hilversum it was decided that they would not make any exceptions that night.

The storm hit the coast and islands while most of the inhabitants were in bed. Due to the fact that in the memory of many it was far from the first, the storm did not cause much concern among people that time either. However, during the night the storm reached its maximum strength. Wind speeds exceeded 11 on the Beaufort scale, reaching speeds of 144 km/h. Coinciding with the beginning of the spring tide, when the sea level reaches its maximum, a hurricane wind drove huge waves towards the land.

By the middle of the night, instruments recorded 455 cm above sea level. Unable to withstand such a powerful pressure, the dams collapsed one after another. The sound of the wind, rapidly rising water, and the screams of frightened neighbors forced people to hastily leave their beds. Many tried to escape by climbing to higher ground or heading to nearby farms and churches. Those who did not have time were forced to climb into the attic or roof of their own house. Surrounded on all sides by the raging sea, thousands of people spent there not only the rest of the night, but also the morning of the next day.

By midday the situation had only worsened. The spring tide brought a new wave, which was significantly higher than the previous one. As a result, many people were washed away from the roofs of their own houses, finding themselves in ice water, drowned. Others managed to escape and swam for a long time, clinging to a non-sinking piece of debris or a piece of wood.

For many, the events had very tragic consequences - the death of loved ones. Finding themselves in the cold, without food, without water, without hope of salvation, children and the elderly were more often than others among those who did not have enough strength to fight the elements.

Large-scale rescue operations began only in the second half of Sunday, but, unfortunately, help came too late for many victims. At that time, much of the modern arsenal of rescue equipment - such as helicopters - was not yet available, and people had to be rescued using small fishing boats. In total, over 70,000 people were evacuated, but most took more than 18 months before they could return to their homes.

Over 170,000 hectares of land were under water, about 10,000 houses were completely destroyed, and 35,000 were seriously damaged. About 40,000 head of cattle and 165,000 poultry drowned. The damage caused by the disaster was estimated at millions of guilders ( monetary unit the Netherlands at that time).

The province of South Holland (especially the island of Overflokke), as well as parts of North Brabant bordering Zealand, were seriously affected. On the island of Texel, located in the north of the Netherlands, 1 person was injured by flooding, 14 deaths were in Belgium, 216 in England. A passenger ferry with 134 people on board sank in the Irish Sea.

The largest events to raise money to help the victims were held in the Netherlands. Was collected huge amount clothing, furniture, and cash, thanks to the campaign “Let's fill the dams with the contents of our wallets,” which was carried out mainly through radio broadcasting.

Help also came from abroad; many volunteers arrived in the country, among whom were employees, doctors, nurses. Scandinavia provided assistance in the form of prefabricated houses: in the province of Zealand they soon discovered that they could be built in amazingly short terms, and their quality turned out to be very high. Some of them can still be seen today.

For the Dutch government, the flood provided the impetus for the development and accelerated implementation of a work plan called "Delta". River deltas were blocked off against storm surge by barrier dams and fences. The sluice structures, when the need arose, could be raised or lowered, thereby allowing the height of the water to be adjusted. 1958 marked the beginning of construction, and in 1989 the construction of the last dam was completed.

At the initial cost estimate of the project in euro terms, it was supposed to spend 1.5 billion, but after construction was completed, the figure exceeded 5 billion. The dam in the Eastern Scheldt became a unique structure. For a number of environmental reasons, in 1976 it was decided to equip the dam with 62 sluice holes, each 40 m wide. In the event of a threat of high water, they can be closed.

Dayton, 1913

The causes of the March flood of 1913 appeared several months before this event. As follows from private records and newspaper reports, the New Year brought heavy rain to Kentucky and its neighboring states. Combination of low pressure and unusual high temperature created ideal conditions for this weather. The atmospheric front moved across Kentucky for several weeks, then moved to Ohio, Illinois and reached Indiana by the end of January.

But heavy rains only started to become a concern in mid-March. Ohioans are used to spring river floods, but this time it was obvious that an unusual situation was developing. The rains that continued for several weeks clearly threatened disastrous floods: on Easter week 1913, the rivers overflowed their banks.

IN different places their dates: in some places the beginning of the flood was on March 21, and in others on March 23. This time, the floods did not spare the cities, which usually did not know such troubles. An example is the city of Akron, which never suffered from spills because it was located on a hill.

The amount of precipitation that fell in Kentucky and Ohio was three times higher than average for this time of year. The greatest damage was caused by the Ohio River in the state of the same name, although its tributaries, the Miami and Muskingum, also contributed. The authorities were unable to quickly assess the situation, and in some places the measures taken were insufficient.

By this time, few diversion canals had been built, but those that existed were destroyed in an unsuccessful attempt to contain the rise of water. Moreover, it later turned out that they could not be restored. This flood was the worst of all that occurred in the states of Ohio and Indiana, as well as parts of Illinois and New York.

In prosperous Dayton, levees and embankments failed to protect against rising water, and the center was flooded to a height of 6 m. Fast-moving flows knocked out gas lines, causing several fires that could not be extinguished in time due to the fact that firefighters could not reach them. Dayton was in chaos.

It should be noted one of the most notable personalities of the city, John Patterson, who opened his factories and banks to organize shelters in them, and independently organized teams of rescuers and doctors to provide assistance. The merits of people like Patterson cannot be overestimated, and their role was especially important in the early days, when the activities of officials were strikingly helpless.

The authorities were unable to respond in a timely manner to requests from thousands of residents, especially in the states of Ohio and Indiana. The situation in the Muskingum and Miami river valleys was even worse than in Dayton. After four days of heavy rain in the Muskingum Valley, the river overflowed its banks, and thousands of valley residents fled to the hills to escape the chaos.

The towns located in the valley had neither electricity nor drinking water, and just like in Dayton, firefighters were powerless in the face of rushing streams at breakneck speed. In Zanesville, Muskingum rose to an incredible height of 15m and flooded 3,400 homes. In Coshocton most historical center disappeared under three meters of water. Eight people were killed in the valley and property damage amounted to several million dollars.

The Miami River also caused trouble in its valley. It rained here non-stop for three days. IN previous years Most of the flooded area was covered with ice, but this time, due to unusually high February temperatures, no ice formed. And this was very helpful, because the consequences could have been even more serious if the ground had frozen and could not absorb water. It was estimated that in three days the river carried through Dayton an amount of water equal to the flow of Niagara Falls in 30 days. And such a comparison gives a complete picture of the scale of the flooding.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of Indiana was flooded. In Indianapolis, the waters of the White River rose by 9 m, and a similar situation arose in neighboring cities. A record level of water rise - at least 19 m - was recorded in Cincinnati, where the city center was under water, and many buildings were completely flooded. The dams holding back the White River and its tributaries were unable to cope with their task.

According to official figures, the death toll is 428 people, but the real figure is believed to be higher and closer to 1000. More than 300,000 people lost their homes. Overflowing rivers destroyed 30,000 buildings, hundreds of bridges and caused serious damage to infrastructure. The material damage was very significant: about $100 million in 1913 prices.

189 years ago, the largest flood in the history of St. Petersburg occurred. To commemorate this event, we cover it and other of the world's deadliest floods.
11 photos

Text by Sofia Demyanets, National Geographic Russia
About 200-600 dead.On November 19, 1824, a flood occurred in St. Petersburg, which killed hundreds of people and destroyed many houses. Then the water level in the Neva River and its canals rose 4.14 - 4.21 meters above the normal level (ordinary).
Memorial plaque on the Raskolnikov House:

Before the flood began, it was raining and a damp and cold wind was blowing in the city. And in the evening there was a sharp rise in the water level in the canals, after which almost the entire city was flooded. The flood did not affect only the Liteinaya, Rozhdestvenskaya and Karetnaya parts of St. Petersburg. As a result, material damage from the flood amounted to about 15-20 million rubles, and about 200-600 people died.
One way or another, this is not the only flood that occurred in St. Petersburg. In total, the city on the Neva was flooded more than 330 times. In memory of many floods in the city, memorial plaques have been installed (there are more than 20 of them). In particular, a sign is dedicated to the largest flood in the city, which is located at the intersection of the Kadetskaya Line and Bolshoy Prospekt of Vasilievsky Island.
St. Petersburg flood of 1824. Author of the painting: Fyodor Yakovlevich Alekseev (1753-1824):

Interestingly, before the founding of St. Petersburg, the largest flood in the Neva delta occurred in 1691, when this territory was under the control of the Kingdom of Sweden. This incident is mentioned in Swedish chronicles. According to some reports, that year the water level in the Neva reached 762 centimeters.
2. About 145 thousand - 4 million dead.From 1928 to 1930, China suffered from severe drought. But at the end of the winter of 1930, strong snowstorms began, and in the spring there were incessant heavy rains and a thaw, which caused the water level in the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers to rise significantly. For example, in the Yangtze River the water rose by 70 cm in July alone.

As a result, the river overflowed its banks and soon reached the city of Nanjing, which was at that time the capital of China. Many people drowned and died from waterborne infectious diseases such as cholera and typhus. There are known cases of cannibalism and infanticide among desperate residents.
According to Chinese sources, about 145 thousand people died as a result of the flood, while Western sources claim that the death toll was between 3.7 million and 4 million.
By the way, this was not the only flood in China caused by the waters of the Yangtze River overflowing its banks. Floods also occurred in 1911 (about 100 thousand people died), in 1935 (about 142 thousand people died), in 1954 (about 30 thousand people died) and in 1998 (3,656 people died). Countsthe largest natural disaster in recorded human history.
Flood victims, August 1931:

3. Yellow River Flood, 1887 and 1938 About 900 thousand and 500 thousand dead, respectively.In 1887, heavy rain fell for many days in Henan Province, and on September 28, rising water in the Yellow River broke the dams. Soon the water reached the city of Zhengzhou, located in this province, and then spread throughout the entire northern part of China, covering approximately 130,000 sq. km.The floods left about two million people homeless in China and killed an estimated 900,000 people.
And in 1938, a flood on the same river was caused by the Nationalist government in Central China at the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War. This was done in order to stop Japanese troops rapidly advancing into central China. The flood was subsequently called "the largest act of environmental warfare in history."
Thus, in June 1938, the Japanese took control of the entire northern part of China, and on June 6 they captured Kaifeng, the capital of Henan Province, and threatened to capture Zhengzhou, which was located near the intersection of the important Beijing-Guangzhou and Lianyungang-Xi'an railways. If the Japanese army had managed to do this, major Chinese cities such as Wuhan and Xi'an would have been under threat.
In order to prevent this, the Chinese government in Central China decided to open dams on the Yellow River near the city of Zhengzhou. Water flooded the provinces of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu adjacent to the river.

The floods destroyed thousands of square kilometers of farmland and many villages. Several million people became refugees. According to initial data from China, about 800 thousand people drowned. However, these days, researchers studying the archives of the disaster claim that much fewer people died - about 400 - 500 thousand.

Interestingly, the value of this Chinese government strategy has been questioned. Because according to some reports, Japanese troops at that time were far from the flooded areas. Although their advance on Zhengzhou was thwarted, the Japanese took Wuhan in October.
At least 100 thousand dead.On Saturday 5 November 1530, Saint Felix de Valois's day, most of Flanders, the historical region of the Netherlands, and the province of Zealand were washed away. Researchers believe that more than 100 thousand people died. Subsequently, the day when the disaster occurred began to be called Evil Saturday.

5. Burchardi flood, 1634 About 8-15 thousand dead. On the night of October 11–12, 1634, flooding occurred in Germany and Denmark as a result of a storm surge caused by hurricane winds. That night, dams broke in several places along the North Sea coast, flooding coastal towns and communities in North Friesland.

According to various estimates, from 8 to 15 thousand people died during the flood.
Maps of North Friesland in 1651 (left) and 1240 (right):

6. Flood of St. Mary Magdalene, 1342. Several thousand. In July 1342, on the feast day of the Myrrh-Bearer Mary Magdalene (the Catholic and Lutheran churches celebrate it on July 22), the largest recorded flood in Central Europe occurred.
On this day, the overflowing waters of the rivers Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube, Weser, Werra, Unstrut, Elbe, Vltava and their tributaries flooded the surrounding lands. Many cities, such as Cologne, Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Würzburg, Regensburg, Passau and Vienna, were seriously damaged.

According to researchers of this disaster, a long hot and dry period was followed by heavy rains that fell for several days in a row. As a result, about half of the average annual precipitation fell. And since the extremely dry soil could not quickly absorb such an amount of water, surface runoff flooded large areas of the territory. Many buildings were destroyed and thousands of people died. Although the total number of deaths is unknown, it is believed that about 6 thousand people drowned in the Danube region alone.
In addition, the summer of the following year was wet and cold, so the population was left without crops and suffered greatly from hunger. And on top of that, the plague pandemic, which passed through Asia, Europe, North Africa and the island of Greenland (Black Death) in the mid-14th century, reached its peak in 1348-1350, taking the lives of at least a third of the population of Central Europe.

Illustration of the Black Death, 1411: