Deadly Storms Hit China – And Snakes Are Escaping! Part 1

China is battling one of its most severe outbreaks of extreme weather this year after Tropical Storm Maysak swept across southern China over the weekend. Although the storm lost its official typhoon strength after making landfall, it continued to dump enormous amounts of rain across large parts of the country. At the same time, powerful thunderstorms and even rare tornadoes struck central China, creating a dangerous combination of flooding, destructive winds and landslides.

The disaster has affected several provinces, including Guangxi, Guangdong, Hubei and Gansu. In Guangxi alone, some areas recorded more than 900 mm of rainfall within just a few days—almost an entire year's worth of rain for some places. Rivers quickly overflowed their banks, reservoirs reached dangerous levels and floodwaters swept through towns and villages. Roads disappeared beneath muddy water, bridges became unsafe, vehicles were carried away by fast-moving currents and thousands of homes were damaged or left without electricity and clean drinking water. Rail services were suspended in some areas as tracks became flooded, while schools and businesses were forced to close.

Credits: cnsphoto via Reuters

So far, at least 17 people have been confirmed dead, hundreds have been injured and many others remain missing. More than 130,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes as local governments ordered people living near swollen rivers and unstable hillsides to move to safer locations. Thousands of families have been temporarily housed in evacuation centres while waiting for floodwaters to recede. Rescue workers warn that the number of casualties may continue to rise as emergency teams gain access to areas that remain cut off by floods and landslides.

Credits: AFP

Rescue operations have been taking place around the clock. More than 8,000 firefighters, soldiers and emergency personnel, supported by over 1,700 rescue vehicles, have been deployed across the worst-hit areas. Rescue boats have been used to ferry stranded families to safety, while helicopters and drones are helping search for missing people and assess damage in places that cannot be reached by road. Emergency workers are also delivering food, bottled water, medicine and temporary shelters to communities that have been isolated by the floods.

Credits: cnsphoto via Reuters

However, rescuers continue to face enormous challenges. Fast-flowing floodwaters make it dangerous for boats to reach trapped residents, while continuous heavy rain increases the risk of new flash floods and landslides. Flooded roads, collapsed bridges and damaged communication networks have slowed rescue efforts, making it difficult for emergency crews to reach some villages. Authorities are also closely monitoring hundreds of reservoirs and river systems that remain above warning levels, as further flooding could occur if additional heavy rain falls.

Meteorologists explain that although Tropical Storm Maysak weakened after moving inland, the storm continued drawing in warm, moisture-filled air from the surrounding seas. This moisture combined with the seasonal East Asian monsoon, producing days of intense rainfall even after the storm itself had lost much of its strength. With Super Typhoon Bavi expected to approach eastern China later this week, authorities fear that this could worsen flooding and trigger more landslides in the days ahead.