Guangxi raised its highest flood alert on Tuesday and sent more than 8,000 rescuers and 1,700 vehicles into areas hit by record-breaking rain from Tropical Storm Maysak’s remnants.
375,000 people were affected and 130,000 evacuated; six people were confirmed dead and 11 missing as river levels climbed as much as 7.5 meters above warning marks.
341 reservoirs exceeded flood-control limits and 56 monitoring stations topped warning levels, prompting officials to warn of piping, landslides and structural collapses after prolonged saturation.
Drinking water systems, roads, power grids and communications were significantly damaged in parts of Guangxi, while social media posts showed residents pleading for rescue and unable to contact relatives.
The same storm system also triggered rare tornadoes and severe storms in Hubei, killing at least 11 people, injuring more than 330 and damaging thousands of homes.