China floods in 1931

From 1928 to 1930 a long drought preceded the China flood in 1931. Heavy snowstorms in the winter were followed by spring defrosting and heavy rains that raised the river levels. The rain quantity increased over the year. In July seven cyclones hit the country, surpassing the average of two per year greatly. A series of floods occurred during the Nanjing decade in the Republic of China era. The event is considered the deadliest natural disaster in human history. The direct human casualties estimates vary from 3.7 million to 4 million. Disaster created devastating agricultural, economic and social impact on Chinese society. Most of the people died from drowning and the rest from diseases, mostly cholera and typhus. In desparation, wives and daughters were sold in order to survive and in some rare cases even cannibalism was reported.