The 1998 Yangtze River floods were a series of major floods that lasted from middle of June to the beginning of September 1998 along the Yangtze. The peak of flood, volume of flow, and duration were all record-breaking. It is characterized high water level, large flood volume and long lasting. However, judging from the rainstorm duration, intensity and impact range, the disaster in the Yangtze River Basin this year is weaker than the one in 1998. On July 2, the Yangtze River experienced its first flood peak of the year. 76-83 (in Chinese). In this paper, I’m aiming to analyze the earth scientific and socio-economic aspects of the 1998 … [5] Other sources report a total loss of 4150 people, and 180 million people were affected. Zhu, C., Yu, S., and Lu, C.: 1997, The study of Holocene environmental archaeology and extreme flood disaster in the Three Gorges of the Changjiang River and Jianghan Plain, Acta Geographica Sinica The floods can be split into three general stages, beginning when one of the stronges… Therefore, stopping floods may be changed as flood Multiple studies also suggest that global warming is likely increasing the intensity of the monsoon in Asia. Flood Event Yangtze 1998 Flood, China. [Image source/South China Morning Post YouTube video] The Yangtze runs from the west of China to the east. Pielke, Jr. R. A.: 1996, Midwest Flood of 1993: Weather, Climate and Societal Impacts, Environmental & Societal Impacts Group, National Centre for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 USA. Controlling Yangtze River Floods: A New Approach By Dr. Jamie Pittock and Dr. Ming Xu After nearly a millennium of efforts to control floods in the Yangtze River basin with dikes, polders and other hard engineering measures, the Chinese government adopted a radically different approach after the disastrous 1998 floods. China’s worst floods in recent years were in 1998, when more than 2,000 people died and almost 3 million homes were destroyed, mostly along the Yangtze. Perry, A. H.: 1981 Environmental Hazards in the British Isles, George Allen & Unwin, London, 191 pp. Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout. The peak of flood, volume of flow, and duration were all record-breaking. Humanactivities have greatly increased the risk of theflood hazard. This is a research report concerning the Yangtze river flooding in 1998, which led to extreme impacts on its home country and great actions of the Chinese government. It is the longest river in the country and is in the grip of floods 84-93 (in Chinese). PubMed Google Scholar, Zong, Y., Chen, X. Background. 12(1), 26–37. The floods were primarily caused by poor management of the rivers, which were overwhelmed by extreme weather in 1931. Natural Hazards 22, 165–184 (2000). 1. (ed. Valley is home to 400 million people. Further Reading The floods can be split into three general stages, beginning when one of the strongest subtropical highs in history arrived in the Yangtze River Basin during mid-June and lingered, providing sustained heavy rainfall for a period of roughly two weeks. 46, 733–742. [6][7] It was also during this period that the dikes began to break, causing further death and widespread damage to property. [7] During this second period of rain, many surrounding lakes and rivers broke record high water levels and overflowed into the Yangtze River, causing a sudden sharp rise in water levels. Lu, X. and Higgitt, D. L.: 1998, Recent changes of sediment yield in the upper Yangtze, China, Environ. This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access. ): 1995, Regionalization of Hazards in China, China Science & Technology Press, Beijing (in Chinese). This image was acquired on 01 August 1998 over Huarong (200km south-west of Wuhan), and the Yangtze River. The 1998 Flood on the Yangtze, China. Xu, G. Q.: 1992, Flood Prevention, Water Resources and Hydro-Electricity Press House, Beijing (in Chinese). 36-141 (in Chinese). Managt Part of Springer Nature. [7], "The 1998 Yangtze Floods: The Use of Short-Term Forecasts In The Context of Seasonal to Interannual Water Resource Management", "Forest and Flood: Aftermath of the 1998 Yangtze River Flood", "The 1998 Yangtze Floods: The Use of Short-Term Forecasts in the Context of Seasonal to Interannual Water Resource Management", China: Yangtze River Flood (July-August 1998), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1998_China_floods&oldid=974055239, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 August 2020, at 20:48. Lu, J. Y. and Luo, H. K.: 1999 Preliminary analysis on the relationship between the Yangtze and Dongting Lake, Yangtze River 2007). A Chinese island on the Yangtze River faces a repeat of the 1998 floods. [7] Although the system had weakened, rainfall during this period was more intense and localized. The flood was caused by unusually high precipitation between June and August (670 mm), due to a strong El Niño event. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008119805106, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008119805106, Over 10 million scientific documents at your fingertips, Not logged in The flood caused a direct economic loss of more than 200 billion yuan. Therefore, stopping floods may be changed as flood control or flood protection. Indeed, after a strong El Niño in 1998, similar floods struck the Yangtze River Basin, causing $44 billion in damage and 3,656 deaths. Afterwards, the government wasn’t able to organize enough relief efforts. - 82.196.1.164. The 1998 flood disaster in China 1. Strengthening the flood defence to protectpeople living on the floodplain has raised the waterlevel during the flood. [6] Most areas saw double the normal amount of rainfall during the rainy season, with certain regions seeing rainfall levels as much as nearly three times the historical average. Most areas saw double the normal amount of rainfall during the rainy season, with certain regions seeing rainfall levels as much as nearly three times the historical average. The core study area is located in the most strikingly meandering and complex stream network section of the middle Yangtze River (Fig. Building and infrastructural remains polluted the basin for some months afterwards. The main cause of the flood was due to above average rainfall in the region for several months before and during the summer of 1998. The most recent major flood in 1998 causes 14 million homeless and $24 billion in economic losses (Yin et al. It was aimed at both generating power and reining in the ferocious Yangtze, the cause of many terrible floods in Chinese history. [6][7] As much as 1000 mm of precipitation was seen in some locations. Following the 1998 floods, the government convinced 2.4 million people to leave the Yangtze River floodplains, restoring 1,000 square miles. 1). 2007). 46(4), 427–435 (in Chinese). Lin, C. and Lu, J.: 1991, Studies on the anomaly of Plum Rain and flood disaster in the Yangtze River valley, J. Nanjing University, Special Issue on the Causes and Countermeasure of Natural Disaster, pp. 62,500,000 acres were flooded between the beginning of June - September (about 3 months) Area flooded vs. This video explains the causes, impacts and response to the Yangtze floods of 1998. River Country Year Lives lost Cause 1 Yangtze River China 1931 2,500,000 - 3,700,000 River flood Consequently, the discharge capacity decreased to 60,000–68,000 m 3 /s, which is sufficient only for ordinary floods. [7] After briefly shifting north, the same system eventually returned to the region in mid-July. Physical Causes. 30, 24–26 (in Chinese). It was aimed at both generating power and reining in the ferocious Yangtze, the cause of many terrible floods in Chinese history. Multiple studies also suggest that global warming is likely increasing the intensity of the monsoon in Asia. However, judging from the rainstorm duration, intensity and impact range, the disaster in the Yangtze River Basin this year is weaker than the one in 1998. It was soon discovered that the high water level and its long duration are not isolated phenomena, but representative of the two general tendencies of flood disasters in the middle reach of Yangtze (Table 1). In 1998, catastrophic floods occurred in the whole area of the Yangtze River basin. This file footage compilation shows the flooding of China's Yangtze River in 1998. This paper examines the main causes ofthe 1998 flood on the Yangtze and addresses a numberof issues related to the exploitation of naturalresources and counter-measures to the flood hazard.The records show that both the amount of precipitationover the catchment and the floodwater discharge fromthe upper basin did not exceed the historical maximum,but water levels in the middle basin were recordedmuch higher than the historical maximum. The Changjiang Water Resources Commission reported the water level had reached 146.97 metres with peak inflows of 53,000 cubic metres per second, the same rate as the 1998 floods. Yangtze is the longest river in China, and floods are the big danger in its middle and lower reaches. Thus, this archetypal pattern tended to lead a flood event over the Yangtze River Basin which may cause very large economic losses and human causalities (e.g., the flood event in 1998 [5, 6]). Fang, J.: 1991, A pilot study on the impact of post-glacial sea-level rise on the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River, Acta Geographica Sinica Each year, monsoon rains and Himalayan snow melt combine to produce higher river levels. 1998 flood survivors Severe rainfall was the main cause of the floods but man-induced factors included deforestation of erosion-subverting forests in the Yangtze river basin and other areas also contributed to the disaster. [7] The final period of rainfall occurred in August, with an average of 150-200 mm of rainfall seen in most regions. Learn more about Institutional subscriptions. 1998 Yangtze River Floods in China Floods in China cause 40% of the total economic loss from natural calamities and are one of the most important and serious natural disasters in China. The 1998 Yangtze River Flood By: Nick Hanson, Johnny Hoffmann, Gaven Bowman, Layne Symington Where is the Yangtze River? 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