Chinese Father Documents Life With Son Every Year of His Life for 3 Decades

1998: Flooding in China

Also in 1998, a series of heavy rains caused the Yangtze, Nen, Songhua, and Pearl Rivers to flood for up to four months out of the summer. It was the worst Northern China flood in nearly four decades, and devastated the entire region. The floods left 3,704 Chinese citizens dead, while 15 million people became homeless as many homes were damaged in the Northern region of China. During the floods, which lasted from June to August, a staggering 25,000,000 acres had to be evacuated. The main cause of the floods was the above average rainfall—nearly three times the historical average.