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Overnight downpours trigger evacuations, flooding in southern regions

Published: 16 Jul. 2024, 12:37 Updated: 16 Jul. 2024, 18:25

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Three cars in a basement parking lot are submerged by muddy water on Tuesday in Wando County, South Jeolla. [JEONNAM FIRE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS]

Overnight downpours pummeled the country's southern regions, resulting in evacuations, flooding and heightened landslide hazards.

In South Jeolla, Jindo County received 169 millimeters (6.65 inches) of rain between 5 p.m. Monday and 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s (KMA) Gwangju Regional Office of Meteorology. The accumulated precipitation in Wando and Haenam counties was 156.5 millimeters and 129 millimeters, respectively.

At around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Jindo recorded an hourly precipitation of 103.5 millimeters. Haenam received 78.1 millimeters of rain in an hour at around the same time, setting a county record for hourly precipitation in July. Tuesday’s rain replaced the previous record made in July 2021 — 63.4 millimeters in an hour. The weather agency said such heavy rain is likely to happen once every 200 years.

In South Gyeongsang, Namhae County had 186.1 millimeters of rain and Hadong County received 144 millimeters of rain between 5 p.m. Monday and 4 p.m. Tuesday.

As heavy rain battered the region intensely in a short period, South Jeolla's fire services conducted 97 safety measures as of 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

In Wando County, more than 10 vehicles in an apartment’s basement parking space were inundated by muddy water. In Haenam County, ground soil on a slope of farmland slid into a house, forcing residents to seek shelter at a nearby community center.

Additionally, roads in the traditional market area were flooded. In Jindo County, first responders searched for any missing persons after an excavator fell into a stream. No casualties have been reported.

Due to the landslide risk, 57 residents evacuated overnight in South Jeolla. Heavy rain advisories are in effect in South Jeolla’s counties of Gokseong, Gurye, Hwasun, Goheung and Boseong, and the cities of Yeosu, Gwangyang and Suncheon as of 10:50 a.m.

Firefighters and local officials conduct repair work in Haenam County, South Jeolla, as the streets are flooded on Tuesday morning following monsoon rains since the previous day. The overnight downpour flooded nine houses in two villages in the county that received 131 millimeters (5.15 inches) of rain from 5 p.m. Monday to 12 p.m. Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Fire services in South Gyeongsang have received a total of 14 damage reports caused by rain by 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The KMA said coastal regions of South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang are likely to receive hourly precipitation between 30 and 50 millimeters accompanied by thunder and lightning until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

A KMA official urged people to exercise extra caution regarding safety and managing facilities, as strong and heavy rain could cause significant damage.

On Tuesday, during a Cabinet meeting, President Yoon Suk Yeol promised to “expedite support and restorations in areas that are affected by rain.”

He asked the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and relevant agencies to roll out support measures swiftly and utilize all viable workforce and equipment in areas declared as special disaster zones on Monday.

The president said responding to disaster is about confronting an unpredictable threat, adding that he was concerned about the additional rain which is forecast for this week.

Yoon also called for a change in the disaster-responding paradigm by actively utilizing advanced science technologies. He added the government should build better capabilities to surpass current data-prediction systems.

Update, July 14: Added regional information about South Gyeongsang and presidential remarks from a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]