"Fast Current and Scary"…Citizens Anxious About Gwangjucheon Overflowing

On the 7th, record-breaking heavy rain poured over Gwangju and Jeonnam, bringing Gwangjucheon River to the brink of flooding. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] As the Gwangju Stream faced the threat of flooding due to record-breaking heavy rain in Gwangju, the anxiety among Gwangju citizens is growing. The heavy rain that fell that day submerged dozens of vehicles along with roads and caused landslides on mountain slopes.

According to Gwangju Seo-gu on the 7th, record-breaking heavy rain exceeding 50mm per hour poured in Gwangju that afternoon, raising the water level of the Gwangju Stream flowing under Taepyeonggyo Bridge in Yangdong.

As a result, the river water near Yangdong Market and the covered shopping area was dangerously close to swallowing the road just a few meters above.

Also, the Yangdong riverside parking lot, the underpasses of Gwangju Stream Bridges 1 and 2, and Gwangam Bridge were at risk of flooding. Authorities controlled the surrounding roads to evacuate pedestrians and instructed vehicles to take detours.

The riverside left road in Seo-gu, the Yangdong lower parking lot, and the underpasses of Gwangam Bridge, Gwangcheon Bridge 1, and Gwangcheon Bridge 2 were already reported to be flooded.

On the 7th, due to record-breaking heavy rain in Gwangju and Jeonnam, Gwangjucheon faced the risk of flooding, and posts expressing anxiety have been continuously uploaded, mainly on online communities. Photo by online community capture

As this situation unfolded, more citizens expressed their anxiety mainly on online communities in the Gwangju area. They posted photos of the flood damage to alert others of the emergency.

On a local mom caf? in Gwangju, a post titled "What about Gwangju Stream next to Yangdong?" was uploaded. The author posted a video of the Gwangju Stream on the verge of flooding and said, "It looks like it will overflow soon."

Citizens from the same area who saw the post expressed their concerns, saying, "I received an evacuation order message. What should I do?", "It looks like it will flood soon, I’m so scared," "The rain isn’t stopping, I’m worried," "I don’t know what will happen overnight, so it’s better to evacuate," and "The current is fast, and it looks like it will overflow soon. I hope there is no damage."

Another online community had a post titled "I have never seen rain like this in my life."

The author expressed concern, saying, "There is a low-lying residential area across the Gwangju Stream, and damage is already occurring one after another," and "If the Gwangju Stream overflows, the damage will be severe."

The post received numerous comments such as "The place where the exercise equipment was is completely submerged without a trace," "I hope everyone stays safe," and "The water is rising rapidly enough to be visible to the eye."