Changwon Mayor Hong Nampyo Takes Command in Preparation for Heavy Rainfall

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, inspected the response measures for heavy rain at the main office disaster situation room.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, inspected the response measures against heavy rain at the main office disaster situation room, as heavy rain is expected in the Changwon area from the evening of the 16th to the morning of the 17th, raising concerns about damage caused by the downpour.

From the 16th to noon on the 17th, heavy rain accompanied by gusts and thunder/lightning is expected, with 30 to 100 mm of rain forecasted in the Changwon area and over 150 mm in some places. Rain began in the afternoon of the 16th, and a heavy rain advisory was issued at 7 p.m.

Following the issuance of the heavy rain advisory, Changwon Special City entered a Level 2 emergency duty system, with one-quarter of all staff on emergency duty, and activated the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Eleven department task forces are operating in the disaster situation room to prevent and recover from disaster damage.

Particularly, with heavy rain forecasted for coastal areas, safety management focused on low-lying flood-prone coastal zones, and preemptive measures such as recommending early evacuation for vacationers and campers during the holiday season were implemented.

Additionally, inspections were conducted on underground passages, stormwater detention facilities, and drainage pump stations, completing preparations for immediate response in case of disaster occurrence.

For disaster prevention, flood control materials and pumps were pre-distributed and forward-deployed, and preemptive measures such as withdrawal were completed to ensure the safety of campers along the Nakdong River due to the release from Andong Dam.

Mayor Hong stated, “Please do your best to conduct pre-inspections of various facilities and vulnerable areas to prevent any loss of life from the heavy rain,” and urged, “We will do our utmost to protect citizens’ lives and property through establishing a cooperative response system among related departments, thorough on-site inspections, and strengthening disaster preparedness.”