 Hankou city hall during the 1931 flood | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | July–November 1931 (depending on river) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 422,499–4,000,000[1] |
| Areas affected | Central and eastern China |
The 1931 China floods, or the 1931 Yangtze–Huai River floods, occurred from June to August 1931 in China, hitting major cities such as Wuhan, Nanjing and beyond, and eventually culminated in a dike breach along Lake Gaoyou on 25 August 1931.
Fatality estimates vary widely. A field survey by the University of Nanking led by John Lossing Buck immediately after the flood found "150,000 people had drowned, and that this number represented less than a quarter of all fatalities during the first 100 days of the flood."[2] The official report found 140,000 drowned[3] and claims that "2 million people died during the flood, having drowned or died from lack of food".[4] A cholera epidemic in the subsequent year, from May 1932, was officially reported to have 31,974 deaths and 100,666 cases.[5]
- ^ Courtney 2018, p. 249.
- ^ Buck 1932, p. [page needed], as cited in National Flood Relief Commission 1933, p. 150.[failed verification]
- ^ The figure of 140,000 is also cited in Hsu, Immanuel C. Y. (1990). The Rise of Modern China (4 ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 546–547.
- ^ National Flood Relief Commission 1933, the caption of photo 11, between page 90 and 91. Also cited by Courtney 2018, p. 249.
- ^ National Flood Relief Commission 1933, pp. 299–300. Also cited by Courtney 2018, p. 87.