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Yangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000 | August 25, 1931 | HISTORY
Yangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000 \| August 25, 1931 \| HISTORY

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# Yangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000

![](https://www.history.com/editorial/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.editorial.aetnd.com%2Fhistory-article-default.desktop.jpg&w=3840&q=75)![](https://www.history.com/editorial/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.editorial.aetnd.com%2Fhistory-article-default.desktop.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

On August 25, 1931, after months of torrential flooding, levees around the city of Gaoyou, [China](https://www.history.com/topics/china/china-timeline), break and the Yangtze River overflows, killing between 10,000 and 15,000 in a single night. The disastrous breach was part of a [catastrophic flood](https://thechinaproject.com/2020/08/26/the-great-china-floods-of-1931/) that [killed an estimated 3.7 million people](https://www.britannica.com/science/Yangtze-River-floods#:~:text=it%20ultimately%20led%20to%20the%20deaths%20of%20an%20estimated%203.7%20million%20people%20and%20left%2040%2C000%2C000%20more%20homeless.) directly and indirectly over the next several months, and left some 40 million without homes. This was perhaps the worst natural disaster of the 20th century.

The Yangtze River runs through southern China, one of the most populated areas on Earth. The region’s people, most of whom lived at subsistence level, depended on the river for water for their personal and farming needs. In April, the river-basin area received far-above-average rainfall. When torrential rains came again in July, the stage was set for disaster. The Yangtze flooded over a 500-square-mile area. The rising waters drove 500,000 people from their homes by the beginning of August.

As the waters continued to rise in the first half of August and even more rain fell, the rice fields that dominated the landscape were swamped, destroying the crop. Major cities such as Wuhan and Nanjing depended on this rice and, without it, people in the cities starved to death. In addition, typhoid and dysentery were rampant due to the polluted river. The millions who died from this flood perished from starvation and disease, many after the flood waters had receded.

Much of the disaster may have been averted if flood-control measures had been followed closely. The Yangtze carries large amounts of sediment, which accumulates in certain areas of the river and must be cleared regularly. However, with much of the area’s resources devoted to civil war at the time, the river was neglected.

By: [History.com Editors](/author/history)

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## Citation Information

Article TitleYangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000

Author[History.com Editors](/author/history)

Website NameHISTORY

URL[https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yangtze-river-peaks-in-china](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yangtze-river-peaks-in-china)

Date AccessedSeptember 12, 2024

PublisherA&E Television Networks

Last UpdatedAugust 14, 2024

Original Published DateNovember 13, 2009

## Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, [click here](mailto:support@history.zendesk.com?subject=Fact%20Check%20-%20Yangtze%20River%20peaks%20in%20Gaoyou%2C%20China%2C%20killing%20more%20than%2010%2C000&body=%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%0AReferring%20URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.com%2Fthis-day-in-history%2Fyangtze-river-peaks-in-china%0A%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E2%80%94) to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

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