Asia’s Deadliest Storms in Years: 1,000+ Lives Lost with Hundreds Missing

 

Devastating floods sweep Southeast Asia (ARNUN CHONMAHATRAKOOL/AFP)

Widespread floods and landslides across Asia kill over 900 people, with hundreds missing as heavy rains wreak havoc in multiple countries.

The chaos began when a rare tropical storm formed in the Malacca Strait, that slim stretch of water squeezed between Indonesia’s Sumatra island and its neighbors, Thailand and Malaysia. Cyclones don’t usually show up here—so when this one did, it unleashed a torrent of rain that battered the region with unexpected force.

Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia faced days of cyclone-driven downpours, with rivers bursting their banks and hillsides giving way. Communities already familiar with monsoon seasons found themselves dealing with something far more intense and far less predictable.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka was hit by a completely separate storm system—one that dumped heavy rains across the island before sending its wet fury toward India’s southern coast. Different storms, same story: water, wind, and widespread destruction.

The human toll is heartbreaking. According to officials cited by Reuters, at least:

• 435 people have died in Indonesia

• 334 in Sri Lanka

• 162 in Thailand

• 2 in Malaysia

Each number represents a life, a story, a family changed forever.

As the region struggles to recover, one question lingers in the soaked soil and swirling floodwaters: Are these extreme weather events becoming our new normal? And if so, what does a future shaped by unpredictable skies look like for the millions living in their path?

Sometimes, nature doesn’t just speak—it roars. And this week, Asia heard it loud and clear.

In Indonesia

On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, rescue teams are fighting their way through collapsed roads, thick mud and isolated villages after Cyclone Senyar unleashed devastating floods and landslides. The death toll has climbed to 435, with more than 400 people still missing—a staggering jump in just one day.
“Everything was gone,” one man told Reuters. Another, Maulidin, woke to the sound of water rushing through her home. “My house is already destroyed… all my belongings are ruined.”

Helicopters have been dropping supplies over the island’s lush rainforests and volcanic landscapes, places now scarred by torrents of water and earth. Footage from the ground tells an even heavier story: families fleeing in the dark, homes crumbling, and belongings swallowed by mud.

Residents from Aceh shared their fear and heartbreak.

The flooding began Tuesday, when intense monsoon rains forced rivers to burst their banks across North Sumatra. Since then, rescuers have been using rubber boats to reach people trapped in submerged neighborhoods.

In the hardest-hit areas, desperation has grown. Authorities say some residents began stealing food and water simply to survive. “They didn’t know aid was coming,” a police spokesperson explained. “They were afraid they would starve.”

Amid the chaos, one thing is clear: Sumatra is facing a crisis where survival depends on speed, hope, and the ability to keep moving through the mud.

In Thailand

A drone view shows people wading through a flooded area in Hat Yai district, affected by deadly flooding following heavy rainfall in southern Thailand (Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

Southern Thailand has been hit by extreme weather unlike anything seen in centuries. At least 162 people have died, according to government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat, and the impact has rippled through the lives of 3.5 million residents.

In Hat Yai — the epicenter of the chaos — rainfall reached a once-in-300-years intensity, sending eight-foot-high floods surging through the city. Hospitals struggled to stay reachable, including a maternity ward caring for 30 newborn babies. Helicopters have been delivering oxygen tanks, medicines, and emergency supplies to communities cut off by water.

Power remains out in parts of the region, though rescue teams continue evacuations and medical support. The Thai government declared an emergency in Songkhla province as the floodwaters swallowed roads and neighborhoods.

There was one bright spot: ten stranded tourists from around the world were rescued safely. And now, after days of relentless rain, officials say the situation is finally improving — water levels have mostly receded, and the city is slowly beginning to breathe again.

In Sri Lanka

People ride a boat across a flooded street in Ambatale on the outskirts of Colombo on November 29, 2025. (Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Cyclone Ditwah arrived with little mercy, and more than half a million people felt its full force as mudslides and flooding swept across Sri Lanka on Friday. The storm’s impact has been staggering: 334 lives lost, 1.1 million people affected, and over 25,000 homes destroyed, according to disaster officials.

Entire neighborhoods near Colombo are now underwater, with 191 people still missing and thousands more huddled inside state-run shelters. Some residents have chosen to stay on the upper floors of their half-submerged homes, guarding whatever belongings the waters haven’t taken.

Amid the chaos, small acts of kindness shine through. At the Dalugala Thakiya Mosque, volunteers pack rice, chicken, and dhal curry for families who suddenly find themselves without work or savings.

“We’re getting more requests every day,” said meal organizer Risham Ahmed. “People are worried about how to piece their lives back together.”

In moments like these, the scale of the storm feels overwhelming—but the resilience of those helping each other stands out just as powerfully.

In Malaysia

Floods across nine Thai provinces have affected more than 2.7 million people.(Reuters: Karit Chaui-aksorn)

In Malaysia, the tropical storm Senyar arrived just after midnight on Friday—and with it came chaos. Reuters confirmed that two lives were lost as the storm swept across the country, forcing around 34,000 people to evacuate.

But not everyone managed to escape in time.

Gon Qasim, 73, and her husband found themselves trapped in a field in Perlis as floodwaters rose faster than they could run. Roads disappeared. Their home became unreachable. The world around them turned into a giant pool of swirling water.

Fortunately, one of their children fought through the flood to rescue them, bringing the couple to an evacuation center in Kangar. There, hundreds of families huddled under tents set up by the national disaster agency—waiting, watching, hoping the worst was over.

Gon later recalled the moment she realized how dire things had become:

“The water was like the ocean. That’s what it looked like.”

A storm that lasted hours, but an experience they’ll remember forever.