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How often has the Yellow River flooded since the 2nd century BCE?

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Yellow River basin and Yangtze River basin — Yellow River The Yellow River (Huang He) basin and the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) basin and their drainage networks.

Since the 2nd century BCE, the Yellow River (Huang He) is estimated to have flooded approximately 1,500 times.12

Often referred to as "China’s Sorrow," the river’s history of devastating floods is primarily attributed to its heavy silt load, which causes the riverbed to rise and the channel to shift, making the surrounding North China Plain extremely prone to inundation. While historical efforts to manage the river through dikes and dams have been extensive, these structures have sometimes exacerbated the destructive nature of breaches by confining the river and elevating its bed.123

Significant flood events have occurred throughout the centuries, with particularly catastrophic instances recorded in 1887, 1931, and 1938. Following the implementation of a comprehensive flood-control program in 1955, the river has not burst its banks since 1945.12