A massive flash flood has devastated villages near the Nepal-China border this August 26, killing at least 165 people in Nepal and leaving more than 1,300 people missing. Tibet has also been hit, with Chinese officials warning of “major casualties.”
Nepal’s foreign minister said an earthquake triggered a landslide that blocked a river, sending a torrent of water downstream. Helicopters are searching for survivors, but severe flooding is hampering rescue efforts.
The devastation is a stark reminder of how destructive flooding can be, with heavy rainfall and extreme weather contributing to increasingly severe events in recent years.
But while climate change is making some extreme rainfall events more frequent and intense, devastating floods are nothing new. Throughout history, some of the world’s most catastrophic floods have killed thousands of people and destroyed homes, communities, and livelihoods.
Click through to revisit some of the worst floods on record.