Typhoon Maysak Causes Widespread Disasters in China

On Sunday, heavy rain began falling on Renhe village in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi. The villagers were used to rain during this time of year. However, the rainfall did not stop. The water levels rose with startling speed. Within just a few hours, the familiar landscape turned into a dangerous place.

By the early hours of Monday, floodwaters reached the knees of the residents. By dawn, the water had completely submerged the first floors of their homes. The speed of the flooding left very little time for preparation. "The floods happened so rapidly, the water just came so fast. The villagers didn't have time to take food with them when they were running away," a woman from Renhe, whose surname is Zhou, told the BBC.

Zhou’s family is among tens of thousands of people who had to leave their homes. This happened after Typhoon Maysak swept through the region over the weekend. The storm caused rivers to swell and dam walls to break. At least four people died in the initial wave of destruction. The typhoon flooded the city of Nanning and surrounding villages. Residents were forced to call for rescue from their rooftops.

The storm’s effects were not limited to Guangxi. It also triggered thunderstorms and even tornadoes in the central province of Hubei, which is hundreds of kilometers away.

According to state media, at least 17 people have died. Hundreds more have been injured, and tens of thousands have been evacuated. The devastation from days of extreme weather prompted President Xi Jinping to order "all out" rescue and relief operations. While typhoons that cause widespread flooding are common in China at this time of year, Maysak is the first typhoon to make landfall in the country for the 2026 season. State media described the storm as having "its sudden onset and intense, short-duration winds."

Another storm, Super Typhoon Bavi, is moving across the Pacific. Forecasts show it is on course to hit China's eastern coast later in the week. Authorities in Nanning have warned that "extremely heavy rain" could hamper rescue efforts.

Residents from Guangxi province have reported that thousands remain trapped on rooftops. Some are in mountain villages because of the persistent floods. The official count estimates that 60,000 people have been evacuated. In total, at least 90,000 people are affected by the deluge.

Zhou, who was living in another province at the time, stated that some of her family members are still trapped in their homes in Renhe. They have limited food supplies. Her four-month-old niece has gone for more than a day without milk. "Other villagers are gathering at higher ground, but they are running out of supplies as well. There are too many villages affected, and not enough rescue workers."

Another woman, whose surname is Huang, from the town of Yunbiao, noted that it took just 10 minutes for floods to submerge villages in her area. "We simply couldn't rescue everyone in time. There were too few rescue personnel, and the lifeboats they brought were too small, they couldn't travel very far."

Huang added that most residents cannot get in touch with their families. They have no internet, no communication, and no electricity. State media has been airing footage of rescuers at work. They are wearing life vests and helmets and riding inflatable boats. President Xi had underscored the importance of "treating the injured, resettling affected residents, and carrying out disaster prevention and relief work effectively."

Several residents are also concerned about the presence of snakes in the floodwaters. Besides wild snakes, the floods have allowed snakes from some farms in the city to escape, according to a report on state media. Certain snake species are farmed in China for traditional medicine, meat, and anti-venom.

Huang sent the BBC a video from her village's WeChat group. The video showed several residents looking alarmed as a large black snake slithered on their mud-covered floor. These incidents have added a layer of fear to an already stressful situation for the displaced communities.

Meanwhile, in Hubei province, at least two tornadoes have formed. They caused significant damage across cities. Meteorologists said that the tornadoes were caused by cold air from the north colliding with warm air brought in by Typhoon Maysak in the south. Tornadoes are rare in this region. The last one recorded in the area was in 2021, according to state media.

Videos of strong winds whipping through the cities of Ezhou and Huanggang circulated widely on Chinese social media. One clip, apparently filmed from a restaurant, showed outdoor tables and chairs tossed around by the tornado. Electrical sparks flew in the air as diners screamed in terror.

Local media reported a tragic incident in Huanggang. A man was "sucked" out of his high-rise apartment. The strong winds shattered his windows and blew him, along with his furniture, out of the apartment. He plunged 12 storeys to the ground. He is reportedly in intensive care in the hospital.

A student in Huanggang told the BBC that he had initially thought it was "just an ordinary thunderstorm." This changed when he saw "things started flying through the air outside" the dormitory window. "A lot of students were cut by flying glass," he said. "It wasn't until everything had finally stopped that I realized I had just lived through a disaster."

Some parts of northern China have also seen extreme weather in recent days. On Saturday, a flash flood in Tongliao city in Inner Mongolia left two cattle farmers dead. Record rainfall in Fushun city left three people dead, state media reported. In Fushun, average rainfall between 01:00 and 07:00 local time "shattered historical records."

As residents in areas affected by extreme weather wait for aid and rescue, they have been desperate to find out about their loved ones. Zhou, the villager from Renhe, said she had asked a friend to swim through the floodwaters to check on her relatives. "He shouted to my father from afar and learned that they are fine for now, though they are surrounded by water," she said.

But the fate of their neighbours down the road, an elderly woman and her two young granddaughters, is unknown. Zhou said that "even by swimming, people can't spot them."

A young woman, who requested anonymity, told the BBC that she had not heard from her parents in Gantang town in the last 24 hours. The last she had heard was that they were hiding on the third floor of their building, but the water had already reached the second floor. "I can't reach out to them. I don't know their situation at all. I lost contact with them on Monday morning," she said. "Now I'm just fretting helplessly, there is nothing I can do."

The combination of sudden floods, rare tornadoes, and communication blackouts has created a complex emergency. Rescue teams are working around the clock. However, the sheer scale of the disaster and the difficult terrain continue to pose significant challenges for those trying to save lives and restore safety to the affected regions.