Central regions hit by flooding as Typhoon Doksuri looms

Social Affairs

Published: 23 Jul. 2023, 17:39

Central regions hit by flooding as Typhoon Doksuri looms

An elderly woman expresses her thanks to a soldier from the Korean Army's 35th Infantry Division involved in repairing flood damage in Mangseong-myeon in Iksan, North Jeolla, on Sunday. The area is one of 13 special disaster zones declared eligible for emergency relief on Wednesday after being battered by monsoon rains. [YONHAP]

More heavy showers are expected to fall nationwide this coming week as the monsoon front moves eastward across the peninsula, with flooding damage already reported in the country's central regions.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued a heavy rain advisory for most of the country on Sunday, noting that the current monsoon front will likely cover the Seoul metropolitan area, the northwestern areas of Gangwon, South and North Chungcheong as well as the western coast of South and North Jeolla.

The weather service predicted rain for Seoul and the western areas of Gangwon through Wednesday, but added that precipitation would ease starting Tuesday.

Up to 80 millimeters (3.14 inches) of rain is forecast for the capital region, but southern areas of Gyeonggi could see more than 120 millimeters before the rains subside, the KMA said.

The KMA issues a heavy rain advisory when precipitation is expected to exceed 60 millimeters within three hours or 110 millimeters over 12 hours.

The monsoon showers are expected to fall heaviest on the central city of Daejeon and southern parts of South Chungcheong, which will likely receive over 150 millimeters of rain in the same time frame, according to the KMA.

Rainfall in the southwestern city of Gwangju and surrounding South Jeolla province will vary between 50 millimeters and 150 millimeters, the weather service said.

The KMA said rain could continue falling even after Wednesday depending on the strength and path of Typhoon Doksuri, which is currently moving northwest from the Philippines.

Heavy rains across the central regions of the peninsula on Sunday have already led to flooding in Daejeon and South Chungcheong.

Damages tied to downpours have been reported in nine different areas of South Chungcheong as of Sunday morning, with emergency personnel being dispatched to pump water out of a house in the coastal region of Taean County and remove a fallen tree that blocked a road in the city of Seosan.

Emergency personnel were also dispatched to Seokgyo-dong in Daejeon’s Jung District around 8:47 a.m. and Byeong-dong, Seo District, at 10:38 a.m., after water flooded basements of multi-unit residential buildings in both areas of the city.

Photographs of flooding in the region showed trees and walking trails submerged by swollen rivers and reservoirs.

The forecast of more rain comes as the country continues to reel from last week’s torrential downpours.

A total of 47 deaths have been counted in connection to last week’s rains as of Saturday at 6 p.m. — 25 in North Gyeongsang, followed by 17 in North Chungcheong, four in South Chungcheong and one in Sejong.

Police and the National Forensic Service on Thursday launched a joint investigation on an underpass in Osong-eup, Cheongju in North Chungcheong that resulted in 14 casualties.

Heavy rainfall last Saturday flooded the 430-meter (1,411-foot) long and 4.5-meter-high underpass after the nearby Miho River breached a provisional sand levee.

The underpass will open again as early as the end of next month after investigations and checkups have been concluded.

The Central Disaster Management Headquarters on Saturday raised the official emergency response posture up to the highest level of the three-tier system after the return of heavy rain was forecast.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]