1958 Yellow River flood
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The 1958 Yellow River flood was an extraordinarily large rise in the water flow of the Yellow River in China that coincided with the onset of the Great Leap Forward. In July 1958, the peak discharge of the Yellow River at Huayuankou was 22,300 m3/s (790,000 cu ft/s) with a maximum sediment concentration of 911 kg/m3 (57 lb/cu ft), 14× and 24× their mean annual values, respectively.[1] The flood water level was so high that it rose up to the top of the levee in several places.[2]
This flood affected 741,000 people, submerged over half a million acres of crops (3.04 million mu), and destroyed over 300,000 houses in 1708 villages.[3] It was reported as the most severe flood since 1933.