1931 China floods 1931 China floods The 1931 China floods or the 1931 Yangtze-Huai River floods were a series of devastating floods that occurred in the Republic of China. They were some of the deadliest floods in history, and together formed one of the most lethal natural disasters of the 20th century, excluding pandemics and famines. Estimates of the total death toll range from 422,499 to between 3.7 million and 4 million. From 1928 to 1930, China was afflicted by a long drought. The subsequent winter of 1930 was particularly harsh, creating large deposits of snow and ice in mountainous areas. Early in
Human response to disasters Human response to disasters Human response to disasters has been recorded throughout human history. In ancient times disasters were often perceived as a result of a deity, divine being, or spiritual creature showing their displeasure over human behavior. This later changed as humans began to see disasters as natural events that caused physical destruction and social chaos to individuals, communities, and societies as opposed to responses to human actions. The term "disaster myth" has been created to describe the belief that people will behave in an irrational, uncontrolled, and even extreme manner outside of normal and accepted social standards despite