Typhoon Maysak floods China, strands villagers and kills at least 11 in Hubei

By dawn, floodwater in Guangxi had submerged the first floors of homes and trapped families on rooftops and in mountain settlements as Typhoon Maysak drove a double disaster through southern and central China, flooding villages in Guangxi and unleashing rare tornadoes and violent thunderstorms in Hubei, where at least 11 people were killed, the first typhoon to hit China in 2026.

Villagers whose relatives were trapped were struggling to get food and help as floodwaters advanced. By early Monday, the water had reached knee height in some places, and by dawn it had submerged the first floors of homes. In parts of Guangxi, residents were cut off quickly enough that some had no choice but to wait out the flooding above the waterline while emergency access lagged behind the pace of the deluge.

In Guangxi, about 55,000 people were affected and roughly 48,000 were evacuated. At least 60,000 were evacuated and at least 90,000 were affected across the broader flooding. In Nanning, two people were killed. The weather system then hit Hubei with severe thunderstorms and gale-force winds that left one person missing and 331 injured. Hubei authorities said 14,600 people were affected, more than 20 houses collapsed and 4,800 others were damaged. Another count put the damage at 22 buildings torn down and 4,855 others damaged. Winds reached Level 13, or about 149 kph, 93 mph.

President Xi Jinping ordered all-out rescue efforts as Chinese authorities raced to respond to flood damage and prepared for Super Typhoon Bavi in the same period. Relief allocations of CNY 160 million were announced, while rescue teams continued searching for the missing and working to deliver aid to communities still cut off by floodwater and storm debris.