Fatal Typhoon Maysak floods burst dam wall in China
On Sunday, heavy rain began falling on Renhe village in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi. The villagers were accustomed to rain, but this time it did not cease, and the water level rose rapidly.
By the early hours of Monday, floodwaters had reached knee height. By dawn, the first floors of homes were completely submerged.
"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 displaced in Guangxi since Typhoon Maysak swept through the region over the weekend, causing rivers to swell and dam walls to break. At least four fatalities have been reported.
The typhoon inundated the city of Nanning and surrounding villages, with residents calling for rescue from rooftops.
Additionally, the typhoon triggered thunderstorms and rare tornadoes in the central province of Hubei—hundreds of kilometers away—where 11 people have died and thousands of homes were damaged.
The extensive damage from days of extreme weather prompted President Xi Jinping to order "all out" rescue and relief operations.
Typhoons causing widespread flooding are common in China during this season, and Maysak is the first to make landfall in the country for the 2026 season.
State media described the typhoon as characterized by "its sudden onset and intense, short-duration winds."
Meanwhile, another storm, Super Typhoon Bavi, is active in the Pacific and forecasted to impact China's eastern coast later this week.
Authorities in Nanning have warned that "extremely heavy rain" may impede rescue efforts.
Torrents of muddy water swiftly engulfed homes in Nanning city in southern China.
'We couldn't rescue everyone in time'
Residents in Guangxi province reported to the BBC that thousands remain trapped on rooftops, including in mountain villages, due to flooding.
Official figures estimate 60,000 people have been evacuated, with at least 90,000 affected by the floods.
Zhou, currently residing in another province, said some family members remain trapped in Renhe with limited food supplies. Her four-month-old niece has gone over 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, surnamed Huang, from Yunbiao town, stated that floods submerged villages in her area within 10 minutes.
"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."
"Most of us can't get in touch with our families because they have no internet, no communication, no electricity,"
she added.
State media has broadcast footage of rescuers working with life vests and helmets, navigating inflatable boats.
President Xi emphasized the importance of "treating the injured, resettling affected residents, and carrying out disaster prevention and relief work effectively."
A portion of the Yongjiang river in Nanning burst its banks.
Concerns have also arisen regarding snakes in floodwaters. Besides wild snakes, floods allowed snakes from local farms to escape, according to state media reports.
Some snake species are farmed in China for traditional medicine, meat, and anti-venom production.
Huang shared a video from her village's WeChat group showing residents alarmed by a large black snake slithering on their mud-covered floor.
'Things started flying'
In Hubei province, at least two tornadoes formed, causing significant damage across cities.
Meteorologists attributed the tornadoes to cold air from the north colliding with warm air brought by Typhoon Maysak from the south.
Tornadoes are rare in this region, with the last recorded event in 2021, according to state media.
Videos circulating on Chinese social media show strong winds in the cities of Ezhou and Huanggang.
One video, apparently filmed from a restaurant, depicted outdoor tables and chairs being tossed by the tornado, electrical sparks flying, and diners screaming.
Local media reported that a man in Huanggang was "sucked" out of his high-rise apartment, falling 12 stories after strong winds shattered his windows and blew him and his furniture outside. He is currently in intensive care.
A student in Huanggang told the BBC he initially thought it was "just an ordinary thunderstorm" until 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."
Parts of northern China have also experienced extreme weather recently.
On Saturday, a flash flood in Tongliao city, Inner Mongolia, resulted in two cattle farmers' deaths, while record rainfall in Fushun city caused three fatalities, according to state media.
In Fushun, average rainfall between 01:00 and 07:00 local time "shattered historical records."
As residents await aid and rescue, many are desperate to learn about their loved ones' status.
Zhou said she asked a friend to swim through floodwaters to check on 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, including an elderly woman and her two young granddaughters, remains unknown. Zhou noted that "even by swimming, people can't spot them."
A young woman, who requested anonymity, told the BBC she has not heard from her parents in Gantang town for 24 hours.
"The last I 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."
