Lessons from History: Droughts and Floods

Climate in the Past

Extreme weather isn’t new—it’s been part of nature for centuries. In the 1800s, droughts and floods reshaped North America, India, China, and beyond, long before modern industry. These events, recorded in history books and natural records like tree rings, show that climate has always varied. Understanding this history challenges claims that today’s weather is entirely unique or caused by humans.

By studying old records, we can see how past societies coped with climate shifts. This perspective reminds us to approach today’s climate debates with evidence and reason, not assumptions. In this article, I’ll share examples of major droughts and floods from the 19th century to show nature’s power and patterns.

19th-Century Droughts

From the 1850s to 1890s, North America faced severe droughts that changed lives and landscapes. The 1860s drought, during the Civil War, nearly wiped out the American bison, a key species for Native Americans and settlers. In the 1870s, droughts fueled locust swarms that devoured crops across the West. By the 1890s, dry conditions drove settlers off the Great Plains, leading to new farming laws like the 1902 Reclamation Act.

These droughts weren’t just local. Researchers from Columbia University, Richard Seager and Celine Herweijer, found they were part of global patterns, hitting India, China, and Africa too. They wrote:

Three major droughts in the 1800s reshaped the West, from bison declines to locust swarms and new government policies.

These events, driven by natural climate cycles like shifts in ocean currents, show that extreme weather isn’t a modern invention. They also highlight how societies adapted, from new farming methods to government support for irrigation and land use.

The 1870s drought in India and China caused famines that killed millions. Historical records show these were linked to global weather patterns, not human activity. This evidence helps us understand that nature has always been dynamic, with or without modern technology.

Holocene temperatures versus CO2 do not track each other suggesting other factors at play.

Extreme Weather Events

Floods were just as dramatic in the 19th century. In 1861–62, California faced floods so severe they nearly made the state uninhabitable, causing damage worth $1 trillion in today’s money. Rivers overflowed, drowning farms and towns across California, Oregon, Nevada, and parts of Mexico. Historical records show similar floods in 1938 were also devastating, proving floods are part of nature’s cycle.

Globally, the 1870s and 1890s saw droughts that led to massive famines. In India, up to 19 million people died during the 1890s drought. China lost 19.5–30 million in the 1870s and 1890s, and Brazil faced 2 million deaths. A 2018 Dailey News article noted these events were tied to a “freak climate event” across three continents, driven by natural patterns like ocean temperature shifts.

These tragedies weren’t caused by modern industry or CO2 emissions. Instead, they reflect nature’s cycles, such as changes in wind patterns or ocean currents. By comparing them to today, we see that extreme weather is part of Earth’s long history, not a new crisis. This history urges us to focus on adaptation and evidence-based solutions, not exaggerated claims.

Lessons from History: Droughts and Floods

Climate in the Past

19th-Century Droughts

Extreme Weather Events

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Evidence based Earth Science