Concentrated rainfall centered on central Korea from the night of the 8th caused flooding and facility damage across the country. Some train and ferry services were suspended, disrupting transportation.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 9th, preliminary heavy rain advisories were in effect for 17 regions including Gyeonggi, Gangwon and Incheon as of 6 p.m. that day. Flood warnings were issued for the Geum River in Cheongju and the Nakdong River in Mungyeong, while a flood advisory was issued for some sections of the Geum River. Heavy rain warnings and advisories that had been in effect for Gwangju, South Jeolla, Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong until that morning were mostly lifted as of 3 p.m.
Cumulative rainfall was highest in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, at 266.6㎜, while most areas of Sejong, North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong also exceeded 200㎜. Strong rain of 30 to 60㎜ per hour fell centered on southern Gyeonggi and North Chungcheong that day before easing in the afternoon, but rain of 20 to 30㎜ per hour is expected to continue centered on the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon region until early on the 10th.
Casualties and facility damage also occurred. Around 10:01 a.m. that day, a man in his 80s was swept away by a torrent in Namwoncheon in Seongnae-ri, Punggi-eup, Yeongju, North Gyeongsang, and authorities are conducting a search operation. Facility damage was preliminarily tallied at a total of 256 cases, including 225 cases of public facilities and 31 cases of private facilities. Public facility damage was highest with 80 cases of fallen trees, followed by 48 cases of road flooding, 24 cases of soil runoff, 16 sinkholes and 11 cases of manhole damage. Among private facility damage, 21 cases of home flooding were confirmed. Crop damage covered 13.4 hectares, with 9.4 hectares of cucumbers and melons in South Chungcheong and 1.6 hectares of oriental melons in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, among those affected.
Residents also continued to evacuate. A total of 662 people from 427 households in 23 cities and counties across seven cities and provinces were temporarily evacuated, of whom 621 people from 399 households are staying in temporary shelters such as village halls and senior centers. Forty-one people from 28 households took refuge at the homes of relatives and other locations. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters provided disaster victims with 57 emergency relief sets, daily necessities and food and beverages, and offered meals in some areas.
Traffic controls also followed one after another. For railways, general train services on the Gyeongbu Line's Bugang Station-Seochang Station section and the Chungbuk Line's Jochiwon-Doan section were temporarily suspended. For ferries, five vessels on five routes including Gunsan-Eocheong and Daecheon-Oeyeondo were suspended.
Passage was also restricted on 45 roads, 33 riverbed roads and eight underpasses. Access was also controlled at 70 riverside parking lots, 86 low-water crossings and 84 riverside areas. At national parks, 261 trails at 10 parks including Mudeungsan and Gyeryongsan were closed, and use of 183 other facilities such as campsites was restricted.
The number of schools that adjusted academic operations due to the rain was tallied at 58 nationwide. Eight schools adjusted arrival times, 17 closed, 32 held shortened classes and one held remote classes.
As the rain moved toward the Seoul metropolitan area, flooding concerns also grew in Seoul. The Han River Flood Control Office issued a flood advisory near Sindaebang Station, Sillim Station and Boramae Station along Dorimcheon at 12:40 p.m. that day.
"Even if the smallest sign of danger is detected, please actively deploy resident evacuation support teams to preemptively evacuate residents," said Kim Min-jae, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. "As heavy rain is forecast to continue until the 10th, please refrain from entering riverside areas, underground spaces and low-lying areas, and frequently check weather information and disaster safety guidance."
