Story perspectives

11 Killed as Tornadoes, Floods Ravage China; Xi Responds

7/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

EF2 tornadoes swept Hubei province, first such storms since 2021.
State media reported tornadoes killed at least 11, injured 330 and left one missing.
President Xi Jinping ordered all-out rescue and relief operations.
Flooding in Guangxi, by Tropical Storm Maysak, killed 39, left nine missing and forced 130,000 evacuations.
Rescue teams deployed 8,000 personnel, 5,700 boats and drones, with the government earmarking tens of millions of yuan for reconstruction.

History

Historical Context

The 1998 Yangtze River floods, which devastated central China in July 1998, killed over 3,700 people and displaced millions. President Jiang Zemin mobilized the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, allocating ¥30 billion for emergency shelters and dikes. Today's EF2 tornadoes in Hubei and Tropical Storm Maysak in Guangxi echo those 1998 floods, prompting President Xi Jinping to order massive rescue deployments. The 1998 disaster spurred China’s modern emergency management system, meaning current multi-agency responses—8,000 personnel, 5,700 boats, drones—build on that institutional legacy.

1 of 2

Story summary

EF2 tornadoes swept Hubei province, first such storms since 2021.
State media reported tornadoes killed at least 11, injured 330 and left one missing.
President Xi Jinping ordered all-out rescue and relief operations.
Flooding in Guangxi, by Tropical Storm Maysak, killed 39, left nine missing and forced 130,000 evacuations.
Rescue teams deployed 8,000 personnel, 5,700 boats and drones, with the government earmarking tens of millions of yuan for reconstruction.

1 / 2