Nonstop rain causes deadly floods in China, killing 39

Tropical Storm Maysak’s flooding death count has risen to 39 people, according to Chinese authorities as of Thursday morning.

The storm hit the Guangxi region in southern China the hardest, bringing near-constant rain to the area. Cumulatively, the storm brought up to 16 inches in total, with harder-hit areas receiving nearly 3 feet.

Isn't more severe weather heading that way? Taiwan and China’s eastern coasts were already preparing for another storm expected to make landfall over the next few days, Typhoon Bavi, when Maysak arrived. Now, they are simultaneously launching relief and rescue efforts following Maysak and preparing for Bavi to reach their shores.

The string of storms that have already hit took the worst toll on the city of Hengzhou, where a partial reservoir collapse added to the flooding and killed 26 people.

Nine people remain missing in the broader Guangxi region, according to the Associated Press. About 130,000 people have been evacuated, while hundreds of thousands more have been left stranded, without power, or without drinking water.

Hengzhou residents were also warned that up to 900 snakes escaped a local farm during the floods, according to regional authorities.

What was that about snakes? A farm in a village in Hengzhou lost between 800 and 900 snakes when the area was flooded, regional authorities reported. Locals responded by forming a civilian snake-catching team, the Global Times reported. While it remains unclear whether the escaped snakes are venomous, a local snake farmer told CCTV.com that local snake farmers commonly raise cobras, king rat snakes, and water snakes. Cobras are venomous. A local news outlet reported that a woman in the town of Yunbiao died after being bitten by one of the snakes.

At least 32 other individuals across China also died this week during different natural disasters. Thunderstorms and tornadoes in central China killed at least 11 people on Monday while injuring hundreds more. A landslide in northwestern China killed 21 forestry workers on Tuesday. Southeast Asian communities expect more severe weather soon, with Typhoon Bavi slated to make landfall over the weekend.