天津为“九河下梢” ,河流众多,地势低洼。历史上,河道和堤坝得不到很好治理,几乎年年发水。近代以后,特大水灾仍时有发生。
        清同治十年(1871)七至八月,天津地区连降暴雨,海潮倒灌,河堤冲决,田舍被淹。各地难民涌入天津。栖息求食者数十万人。天津当局截留江浙漕粮10万石,采买赈米4万石,受赈灾民达351900人。
        光绪十六年(1890),从五月二十一日开始,天津地区阴雨连绵,二十九日以后,大雨狂风历时7天,各河相继漫溢,城北、城东及英、法租界,水深2至4尺。此灾为数十年来未有的水灾。该年降雨量1221.9毫米,是此前天津历史上有文字记载的最大降雨量。
        1917年9月,天津发生特大水灾。21日,大蒋庄、杨柳青等处河堤决口,津浦铁路中断。22日,三岔河口沿岸水深及膝。23日,南运河水急涨,北岸平漫,河北大街尽成汪洋。24日,英、法租界也遭水淹; 日租界邮局前马路两旁水深6尺,据统计,天津有6.6万余间房屋被淹,2万间倒塌,10万余灾民流离失所。
        1939年8月,天津发生特大水灾。从7月上旬开始,华北地区连降大雨,各河洪水猛涨。8月7日,日伪当局在杨柳青马庄、桑园两地将南运河右堤炸开,洪水涌向天津西南洼; 10日,洪水包围了天津。19日,南大围堤在陈塘庄以西溃决,土城水深1米,新仓库附近水深2.4米; 劝业场一带为全市最低点,水深3～4米。灾民达65万,水灾死亡万余人。全市被淹一个半月之久,许多民房倒塌。伪币贬值,物价飞涨,瘟疫流行,病饿交加,浮尸漂荡,惨不忍睹。南马路个人慈善机构“正字慈会粥厂” ,开展赈灾义举。

        

·1917年日租界旭街宝成金店被淹之状

        

·1939年法租界二十六号路中原公司被淹之状

        Tianjin,located at the Nine Rivers Converge,is endowedwith rivers and low-lying lands. In her history,Tianjinwas devastated by floods almost every year due toineffective harness in river ways and dykes. Catastrophicfloods still hit frequently in modem times.
        From July to August in 1871 (Tongzhi 1871),Tianjin suffered a continuous rainfall,with tides poured,banks burst,and villages submerged. Over 100,000refugees rushed into Tianjin for shelters and food. Theauthorities withheld grains of 100,000 dans which wereto be transported to the capital by water and purchasedrice for aid. It was estimated that the refugees totaled351,900.
        Since 21 May,1890 (Guangxu 1890),Tianjin wereovercast and rainstorms lasted for 7 days since 29th.Consequently,rivers overflowed. In the north and theeast,British and French settlements,the water was of2 to 4 chi deep. For the biggest flood during the pastdecades of years,it had an annual rainfall of 1221.9mmwhich was the largest in record ever.
        In September,1917,Tianjin was hit by heavyfloods,on 21st,banks burst in Da Jiang Village and YangLiuqing; Jinpu railroad interrupted. On 22nd,water wasin great depth along the three river junctions. On 23rd,river in Nan Yun River rose greatly and was parallel tothe northern bank; He Bei Street was submerged. Britishand French settlements were also submerged on 24th.Water was as deep as 6 chi on either side of road in frontof the post office in the Japanese settlement. Accordingto statistics,there were approximate 66,000 housessubmerged by water,of which 20,000 collapsed,andcaused 100,000 people homeless.
        In August,1939,Tianjin was once again sufferedfrom heavy floods. Since early July,it was badly hitby storming rain; rivers rose rapidly. On 7th August,puppet authorities of Japanese exploded the right bankof Nan Yun River at Ma Village and Sang Yuan in YangLiuqing,resulting in floods that poured into the low-lying southwest area of Tianjin. On 10th,Tianjin wassurrounded by floods. The southern embankments burstto the west of Chen Tang Village on 19th; water was of1 meter deep in Tu Cheng and of 2.4 meters deep in thevicinity of Xin Warehouse. Quan Yechang,was sufferingfrom water of 3 to 4 meters deep. The number of thevictims reached 650,000,among whom thousands died.The whole city was flooded for over 40 days. Manyhouses collapsed. The money devalued; price rose;plagues spread; disease and starvation indulged; bodiesfloated on water. Zheng Charity,a private charitableinstitution at Nan Ma Road,started to provide disasterrelief to the refugees.