Flooding and Road Damage... Widespread Damage from Over 200mm of Heavy Rainfall

Rainfall Exceeding 50mm per Hour, Daily Accumulated Precipitation Over 200mm
Road Damage, Collapses, and Flooding Continue

On the afternoon of the 30th, the Tancheon Stream in Seoul overflowed, submerging a vehicle flood warning sign in water. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] Damage caused by heavy rain continued across the country, including Seoul.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, more than 50mm of rain per hour poured in Seoul from 3 p.m. on the 30th to 3 a.m. the next day. As of 10 p.m. the previous day, the daily cumulative rainfall was 232.5mm in Dobong-gu, Seoul, 224.5mm in Gangdong-gu, and 210.5mm in Songpa-gu.

In Seoul, heavy rain caused potholes (holes in asphalt surfaces) and sinkholes (ground subsidence). On the 30th, potholes measuring 1m and 60cm in width occurred near the northern end of Dongho Bridge in Seongdong-gu near Oksu Tunnel and on the second lane of the southern end, damaging the tires of nine vehicles. A total of six potholes occurred around Dongho Bridge, and the Seoul City Road Office carried out repair work.

An 80cm-wide pothole also appeared on Tongil-ro in Eunpyeong-gu, causing tire damage to vehicles, and authorities conducted repair work following reports. On the same day, a sinkhole appeared on the school route of a high school in Jongno-gu.

Retaining wall in a residential area of Seosan, Chungnam, collapsed due to heavy rain poured between the night of the 29th and the early morning of the 30th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Collapse accidents also occurred due to the heavy rain. A retaining wall of a house in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu collapsed, damaging one vehicle parked in a nearby public parking lot. There were no casualties. On the same day, a 3-meter-high wall under construction at a house in Umyeon-dong, Seocho-gu collapsed, damaging one vehicle.

Flood damage continued as well. The Tancheon public parking lot in Gangnam-gu was submerged due to the overflow of the Tancheon stream, and the nearby Gangnam Driver’s License Test Center also experienced flooding in the practical test area, leading to the postponement of test schedules.

In Segok-dong, Gangnam-gu, three buildings were flooded, and in Irwon-dong, a villa area suffered flood damage, prompting firefighters to dispatch and carry out restoration work.

In Seocho-gu, a driver in their 50s ignored a no-entry sign and entered from the southern end of Jamsu Bridge heading north, resulting in the vehicle being submerged and the driver being rescued by firefighters.

In Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, the underground passage at Seryu Station on Line 1 was flooded, causing inconvenience for commuters. Citizens had to take off their shoes and socks and roll up their pants to pass through the underground passage. In Gosaek-dong, Gwonseon-gu, a used car sales complex was flooded, submerging about 100 vehicles.

The image shows the flooded Suwon used car complex on the morning of the 30th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the heavy rain caused two deaths and other casualties from the 28th to the morning of the 30th. An elderly person in their 90s died when the roof of a house collapsed in Gongju, Chungnam, and a worker died after falling into a water puddle caused by heavy rain at an apartment construction site in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

There were 195 cases of building and vehicle flooding, 9 cases of house roof and wall collapses, and 2,916.5 hectares of farmland flooded. Additionally, 161 cases of road flooding, 35 cases of soil erosion, and 3 cases of bridge and embankment washouts were reported.

Meanwhile, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced that the heavy rain warning issued for all of Seoul at 9 p.m. on the 30th has been lifted.

Major roads in Seoul have also reopened to traffic. According to Seoul City, vehicle traffic on the Dongbu Expressway, which was restricted due to rising water levels in Jungnangcheon, resumed from midnight on the same day. Vehicle traffic on the Olympic-daero Yeoui Upper IC and Yeoui Lower IC, which had been restricted due to rising water levels in the Han River, also resumed from 5 a.m.