Gyeongbuk Province Holds Emergency Meeting for Heavy Rain Preparedness... Promotes Early Return of Vacationers Before Sunset and Avoiding Dawn Paddy Field Visits

Gyeongbuk Province is holding an emergency countermeasure meeting to prepare for heavy rain.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Gyeongbuk Province held an emergency countermeasure meeting on the morning of the 15th to minimize future flood damage following the recent record-breaking heavy rains that caused significant damage in the Seoul metropolitan area and Chungcheong region.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts heavy rainfall of 30 to 100mm during the main precipitation period from the night of the 15th to the morning of the 16th, with concentrated downpours of 30 to 50mm per hour expected.

At the meeting, 63 participants including 23 deputy heads of city and county governments, 13 heads of collaborative departments, and related agencies analyzed damage cases caused by the concentrated heavy rains in the metropolitan area and devised measures to prevent casualties.

The attendees focused discussions on countermeasures for semi-basement house flooding due to urban inundation, urgent inspections of landslide-vulnerable facilities such as solar power installations, response plans for remote mountain villages, and rapid guidance and evacuation inducement for tourists and campers in mountain valleys and riversides during the vacation season.

They also conducted emergency inspections on wildfire-affected areas and the operational status of drainage pump stations in low-lying areas, and established a cooperative system with related agencies such as local police stations and fire stations.

Officials who gave up their three-day holiday following a special directive from the governor conducted urgent inspections of 377 sites at risk of casualties over two days from the 13th to the 14th, and inspected 275 sites on the last day of the holiday, the 15th.

Kim Jung-kwon, Director of the Disaster Safety Office of Gyeongbuk Province, emphasized, “Since a strong rain band is expected to form in the early morning of the 16th, please promote announcements so that all vacationers can return home before sunset on the 15th,” and added, “Please use village broadcasts to encourage residents to refrain from activities such as watching flooded fields in the early morning of the 16th.”