Devastating Historic Floods: A Look Back

September 1931: Severe flooding in Hankou, China

In a time without advanced technology for radar and communication, some of the worst weather killers were floods. During the late 19th and early 20th century, major storms and flooding meant staggering death tolls for the areas affected.

 

Two of the world’s deadliest natural disasters were both flooding events in the late 19th century, according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman. Flooding in China in 1887 claimed more than 900,000 lives and another flood in the summer of 1931 claimed over a million lives.

 

The deadliest U.S. flood also occurred in the 19th century, in Johnstown, Pa. The South Fork Dam failed after heavy rainfall and water rushing through the town killing 2,200. According to Erdman, technology played a huge factor in the amounts of devastation floods left in their paths in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

"Imagine a time without satellite, radar, forecast models, dense observations networks, the Internet or social media. Now, imagine a town near a small creek swamped by a 10-15 foot wall of water from a thunderstorm. About 1,300 Heppner residents had no idea of what was about to happen in their town. The flood claimed 247 lives, second only to the Johnstown flood, according to The Oregonian.

"Thanks to better technology, communication, forecasting and awareness, flooding deaths not from tropical cyclones have been reduced in recent times, particularly in the U.S," said Erdman.

http://www.weather.com/news/devastating-historic-floods-look-back-photos-20131205