What happened when the Huang He dikes were deliberately destroyed near Zhengzhou in 1938?

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Map of eastern Asia highlighting the province of Henan in central China in orange, with its capital Zhengzhou labeled. Surrounding countries and major international boundaries are shown, along with a small inset map locating Henan within all of China. — Henan Henan province, China.

In June 1938, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Nationalist forces under Chiang Kai-shek deliberately destroyed the dikes of the Huang He (Yellow River) near Zhengzhou in an attempt to halt the advance of invading Japanese troops.123

This strategic action resulted in a catastrophic flood that inundated approximately 21,000 square miles (54,000 square km) of land. The disaster caused an estimated 500,000 to 900,000 deaths and led to widespread famine and displacement. The river was diverted to the south, where it remained until the dikes were rebuilt and the water was restored to its former northern course in 1947.21