The Banqiao Dam Disaster
When it comes to historical disasters that people tried to cover up, one can't help but mention the Banqiao Dam disaster. A typhoon (tropical cyclone) occurred in August 1975 in western Henan province, China as a result of a typhoon (tropical cyclone). The subsequent floods killed over 150,000 people, making it one of the deadliest typhoon disasters in history.
The Banqiao Dam on the Ru River was built in the early 1950s as part of a flood-prevention and electricity-production program to control the Huang He (Yellow River). It was built to withstand a "1,000-year" flood and stands 387 feet (118 meters) tall with a storage capacity of 17.4 billion cubic feet (492 million cubic meters) (i.e., a flood level expected once every millennium). However, when Typhoon Nina stalled over Henan in early August, it caused floods twice the 1,000-year level. The total precipitation on the first day exceeded 40 inches (1,000 mm), exceeding the area's total annual precipitation by about one-fifth, and three more days of heavy downpours followed.
The dam began to fail shortly after 1:00 a.m. on August 8, resulting in a rush of water up to 33 feet (10 meters) high and 7 miles (11 km) wide in some areas, moving at approximately 30 miles (50 km) per hour. The nearby town of Daowencheng was immediately inundated, killing all 9,600 residents. As a result of the typhoon and the ensuing floods, 61 other dams and reservoirs failed that day, including the second largest dam in the flood-prevention system, the Shimantan Dam on the Hong River. The lack of an early-warning system or an evacuation plan exacerbated the disaster, and according to the official death toll, 26,000 people died in the floods. Furthermore, an estimated 145,000 people died as a result of epidemics (caused by contaminated water) and famine; some estimates put the total death toll at more than 220,000. The disaster claimed the lives of over ten million people.
Following the disaster, Chinese officials conducted a nationwide examination of the country's reservoirs. Chen Xing, a prominent hydrologist whose warnings and criticisms had gone unheeded during the construction of the Banqiao Dam, was called back to assist in clearing the river channels. Many of the 62 dams that were destroyed were rebuilt, including Banqiao (completed in 1993). (1996).
Date: August 1975
Location: Henan, China
Cause: Typhoon Nina, engineering flaws, policy errors. (Background: Great Leap Forward to the Chinese Cultural Revolution)
Deaths: 26,000 to 240,000
Property damage: 62 dams collapsed; 30 cities and counties (3 million acres) were inundated more than 5 million houses collapsed 10.75 million people affected.