--- title: "Freak Tornado Sucks Man Out of 12-Floor Apartment" description: "A horrifying tornado has ripped through central China, killing 11 and causing widespread damage throughout the region." date: "2026-07-07" modified: "2026-07-07" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/freak-tornado-12-floor-apartment-hubei-province" categories: - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" --- # Freak Tornado Sucks Man Out of 12-Floor Apartment ![Armed police officers carry out rescue operations following a tornado on July 6, 2026 in Huangzhou, Huanggang, Hubei Province of China.]() *VCG via Getty Images* When most of us hear about freak tornadoes, we assume they're ripping through trailer parks in Oklahoma — not high-rises in central China. Yet that's exactly what happened late Monday night in China's Hubei province, when extremely powerful storms tore through Huanggang city, sucking a man straight out of his 12th-story apartment. Miraculously, the 30-year-old man survived, [*CNN* reports](), and is currently in an intensive care unit. The gales were so strong that they reportedly ripped his cabinets out of the walls and his couch off the floor, while semi trucks across Huanggang were flung as far as 100 feet, *CNN* notes. At least 11 people have died in the violent squall, while over 331 people are injured. The storm further damaged over 4,800 homes across Hubei. According [to *Reuters*](), the tornado in question reached wind speeds up to 93 miles per hour, equivalent to [hurricane-force winds]() on the extended Beaufort wind force scale. While certain regions in China do receive tornadoes, studies have found that the amount of severe tornadic activity has [substantially declined]() over the past few decades. Accordingly, tornadoes like this are extremely rare in Hubei, with the latest twister touching down back in May of 2021, per *CNN*. The storm that produced the tornado comes as a result of supertyphoon Maysak, a massive tropical cyclone which [made landfall]() last Friday, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate amidst deadly floods. **More on tornadoes:** *[Illinois Is Getting Battered by Freak Tornadoes]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()