Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 7.1
The twenty-four most severe floods worldwide.
Source:
van der Leeden
et al
.
volumes (van der Leeden
et al
. 1990). This indicates
a preponderance of cases in the USA (5), Japan
(5), and East Asia and China (8). Figure 7.2 shows
the strong correlation between flood magnitude
and drainage basin size; the significant floods in
world terms are generated by major rainfall
events—or series of events—over large
catchments. In each of these cases, the flooding
can last many weeks or months, not least when it
is the product of seasonal shifts in weather and
climate patterns such as the El Niño phenomenon
(Penning-Rowsell 1996).
Because emergency relief procedures are now
most more effective, conditions have changed
since 50-100 years ago, when major floods caused
massive loss of life (e.g. the Huang He floods in
China in 1931 resulted in 3,700,000 deaths).
Nevertheless, loss of life is still common, as in Italy
