#2 – Yellow River Flood
Year: 1887
Location: China
Death Toll: Over 900,000 people
The Yellow River flood in 1887 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, killed over 900,000 people making it the second deadliest natural disaster ever recorded.
What caused the flood? The river had become swollen following days of heavy rain and breached the dikes and flood spread very quickly over the low-lying plains near the area, covering an estimated 50,000 square miles, swamping agricultural settlements and commercial centers. After the flood, two million were left homeless, with the resulting pandemic and lack of basic essentials claiming as many lives as those lost directly by the flood.