Yun Byeong-tae, Mayor of Naju, Emphasizes 'Mandatory On-Site Inspection of Disaster Vulnerable Areas' in Preparation for Hin Namno's Northward Advance

Weekend Mobilization Order for Department Heads and Eup, Myeon, Dong Chiefs... Strengthening Cooperation with Police, Fire Department, KEPCO, and Related Agencies

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong] As Typhoon No. 11 ‘Hinnamnor’ accelerates its northward movement, Naju City in Jeollanam-do held an emergency countermeasure meeting over the weekend and has entered a preemptive response posture.

According to the city on the 4th, Mayor Yoon convened an emergency meeting in the city hall’s large conference room in the morning with heads of departments, bureaus, offices, all department heads, and heads of towns, townships, and neighborhoods to hold a ‘Typhoon Preparedness Situation Assessment and Response Status Check Meeting.’

Additionally, disaster preparedness officials and staff from related agencies such as the police station, fire station, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Education Support Office, and Korea Electric Power Corporation also attended the meeting to mutually share key response measures by each agency.

Earlier, on the 3rd, Mayor Yoon visited various disaster-vulnerable sites including the base APC worksite where line work was in full swing, pear orchards, melon greenhouses, and the Yeongsan drainage pumping station, urging thorough preemptive preparation and swift response during disaster situations.

Along with this, through the countermeasure meeting on the same day, the disaster countermeasure headquarters checked the key management items for typhoon preparedness of the departments under its jurisdiction and related agencies, urging full-scale response to minimize casualties and property damage through preemptive field patrols.

Mayor Yoon emphasized, “Each department and related agency may have extensive experience and response know-how, but the most important factors in natural disaster preparedness are ‘the field’ and ‘practice.’” He added, “In this emergency situation ahead of an ultra-powerful typhoon, please ensure to carry out on-site inspections of public facilities, houses, industrial complexes, construction sites, and areas at risk of landslides and flooding that are vulnerable to strong winds and heavy rain.”

After the meeting, Mayor Yoon visited the Yeongsan River Hwangpodotbae dock to check the status of facility preparedness, including the mooring condition of each vessel in preparation for strong rain and wind and rising water levels.

Naju City, led by the Safety and Disaster Division (Disaster Countermeasure Headquarters), has activated a 13-field emergency duty system including ▲emergency livelihood support such as aid for disaster victims ▲disaster site environmental maintenance ▲emergency communication support ▲emergency restoration of public and private facilities ▲restoration of energy functions such as gas, electricity, and fuel ▲disaster response and recovery publicity ▲disaster material management ▲traffic measures ▲volunteer management ▲maintenance of social order ▲search and rescue and first aid.

Since 6 p.m. on the 2nd, the city has been operating a 24-hour disaster countermeasure headquarters situation room and emergency duty at each town, township, and neighborhood until the situation ends, striving for prompt response in case of typhoon damage.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s forecast, as of the 4th, ‘Hinnamnor’ is an ‘ultra-powerful’ typhoon with a central pressure of 940 hPa (hectopascal) and maximum wind speeds reaching 169 km/h, moving northward at 11 km/h.

The typhoon is expected to reach the sea 460 km south-southwest of Seogwipo City, Jeju, around 9 a.m. the next day and affect the entire southern region of the Korean Peninsula.

During a typhoon, avoid habitual flood-prone areas such as streams, rivers, and riverside parking lots, as well as dangerous areas where landslides frequently occur, and evacuate to safe places.

Residents should close doors and windows and refrain from going out as much as possible, while frequently checking weather conditions via TV and the internet.

In rural areas, especially avoid going out to check rice paddy embankments or water channels, and stay away from construction sites to prevent injury from collapsing construction materials.

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong ks7664@asiae.co.kr