Typhoon Maysak Triggers Devastating Floods and Rare Tornadoes Across China

The deluge began on Sunday in Renhe village, located within the southern Chinese province of Guangxi. Residents in this region are accustomed to seasonal rainfall, but the precipitation from Typhoon Maysak was unprecedented. The rain did not cease, and water levels rose with startling speed. Within a matter of hours, the familiar landscape transformed into a dangerous, submerged environment. By the early hours of Monday, floodwaters had reached the knees of residents. By dawn, the first floors of homes were completely submerged. The speed of the inundation left inhabitants with little time to prepare or secure their belongings.

"The floods happened so rapidly, the water just came so fast," explained a woman from Renhe, identified only by her surname, Zhou. She told the BBC that villagers had no time to take food when fleeing. Zhou’s family is among tens of thousands of people displaced since Typhoon Maysak swept through the region over the weekend. The storm caused rivers to swell rapidly and dam walls to break under the pressure. At least four people died in the initial wave of destruction. The typhoon inundated the city of Nanning and surrounding villages, forcing residents to call for rescue from their rooftops.

The storm’s reach extended far beyond Guangxi, triggering severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes in the central province of Hubei, 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 caused by days of extreme weather prompted President Xi Jinping to order "all out" rescue and relief operations. While typhoons causing widespread flooding are common in China during this time of year, Maysak is the first to make landfall in the 2026 season. State media described the storm as having "its sudden onset and intense, short-duration winds."

Forecasters warn that the danger is not over. Another storm, Super Typhoon Bavi, is churning across the Pacific and is on course to hit China's eastern coast later in the week. Authorities in Nanning have warned that "extremely heavy rain" could further hamper rescue efforts, complicating operations in areas already struggling with high water levels.

Residents from Guangxi province report that thousands remain trapped on rooftops, including those in remote mountain villages, due to persistent flooding. Official estimates suggest that 60,000 people have been evacuated, with at least 90,000 individuals in total affected by the deluge. Communication blackouts have made the situation even more dire, as many cannot contact their families.

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

The speed of the disaster caught many off guard. Another woman, identified as 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," Huang said. "There were too few rescue personnel, and the lifeboats they brought were too small; they couldn't travel very far."

Most residents cannot reach their families because they have no internet, no cellular communication, and no electricity. State media has aired footage of rescue workers wearing life vests and helmets, navigating floodwaters in inflatable boats. President Xi has underscored the importance of "treating the injured, resettling affected residents, and carrying out disaster prevention and relief work effectively." However, the logistical challenges remain immense.

Beyond the water itself, residents are facing additional threats from displaced wildlife. Several residents have reported an increased presence of snakes in the floodwaters. According to state media reports, the floods have allowed snakes from local farms to escape into residential areas. In China, certain snake species are farmed for traditional medicine, meat, and the production of anti-venom.

Huang sent the BBC a video from her village’s WeChat group. The footage showed several residents looking alarmed as a large black snake slithered across their mud-covered floor. These incidents have added a layer of psychological fear to an already stressful situation for displaced communities. The combination of rising waters and unexpected wildlife creates a complex and hazardous environment for those seeking safety.

Meanwhile, in the central province of Hubei, meteorologists confirmed that at least two tornadoes formed, wreaking havoc across several cities. Meteorologists explained that these tornadoes were caused by cold air from the north colliding with warm, moist air brought in by Typhoon Maysak from the south. Tornadoes are rare in this specific 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 violently by the tornado, with electrical sparks flying in the air as diners screamed in terror. Local media reported a tragic incident in Huanggang where a man was "sucked" out of his high-rise apartment. The strong winds shattered his windows and blew the man, along with his furniture, out of the building. He plunged 12 storeys to the ground and is reportedly in intensive care at a hospital.

A student in Huanggang told the BBC that he initially thought it was "just an ordinary thunderstorm." His perspective changed when he saw "things started flying through the air outside" his 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."

The extreme weather has not been limited to southern and central China. Some parts of northern China have also experienced severe conditions 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, according to state media. In Fushun, the average rainfall between 01:00 and 07:00 local time "shattered historical records."

As residents in all affected areas wait for aid, they are desperate to find out about their loved ones. Communication failures have left many families separated and anxious. Zhou, the villager from Renhe, described asking 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.

However, the fate of neighbors down the road remains unknown. Zhou said that an elderly woman and her two young granddaughters could not be found. "Even by swimming, people can't spot them," she explained. Another 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 information she had 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," she said. "I don't know their situation at all. I lost contact with them on Monday morning. Now I'm just fretting helplessly; there is nothing I can do."

The combination of sudden floods, rare tornadoes, and widespread communication blackouts has created a complex emergency. Rescue teams are working around the clock, but 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. Authorities must coordinate rapid evacuations while contending with worsening weather forecasts and the logistical nightmare of reaching isolated communities.