[Photo] Lee Seung-ro, Seongbuk-gu Mayor, Holds Typhoon 'Hinnamno' Countermeasure Meeting and Orders Thorough Preparations

[Seoul Autonomous District Photo News] Lee Seung-ro, Seongbuk-gu Mayor, Chairs Emergency Disaster Safety Measures Meeting on Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor’ at Future Planning Office on the 5th; All Disaster Safety Department Heads Including Urban Safety, Flood Control, and Road Departments Attend; Zero Casualties Set as Top Priority; Inspects Departmental Responses and Future Plans, Orders Thorough Preparedness ... Kim Tae-woo, Gangseo-gu Mayor, Chairs Emergency Measures Meeting for Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor’, Urges Full Preparedness ... Park Kang-su, Mapo-gu Mayor, Continues Intensive On-Site and Pre-Preparation Inspections Related to ‘Hinnamnor’ on the 4th and 5th ...

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the 5th, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, presided over an emergency disaster safety countermeasure meeting at the Seongbuk-gu Office Future Planning Office regarding Typhoon No. 11 ‘Hinnamnor’, checking the response status and future plans of each disaster countermeasure department and instructing thorough preparedness.

The meeting was held with the attendance of Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, and all heads of disaster safety-related departments including the Urban Safety Division, Flood Control Division, and Road Division.

At the meeting, considering the expected damage from strong winds and heavy rain caused by the typhoon, the top priority was set to zero casualties. The departments reviewed pre-inspection and control of disaster-vulnerable areas such as large-scale maintenance construction sites, steep slopes, areas around rivers, and places prone to casualties; inspection of traffic safety facilities; comprehensive inspection of street trees and green belts; and inspection of outdoor advertising materials as part of the typhoon preparedness measures.

Prior to this, on the 2nd, the Deputy Mayor chaired a major function department countermeasure meeting to analyze the typhoon forecast and specify response plans for each relevant department. Based on this, by the 4th, the district completed surveillance and inspection of vulnerable areas such as large-scale maintenance construction sites and river surroundings; maintenance of decayed and hollow street trees and dangerous trees; establishment of river control and resident evacuation systems; inspection and maintenance of flood control facilities; and additional installation of flood prevention facilities.

In addition, a 24-hour emergency duty and situation transmission system was established, and an emergency response team was formed to ensure immediate response in case of damage.

Furthermore, repeated broadcasts of typhoon precautionary announcements were made through apartment management offices within the district, and for vulnerable groups in low-rise residential areas, the welfare network was fully mobilized to continuously monitor their safety.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “Overreaction is necessary when it comes to safety,” adding, “Until this historically strong typhoon completely disappears from the Korean Peninsula, all Seongbuk-gu employees are maintaining vigilance in their respective positions with the safety of residents as the top priority. We ask residents to refrain from going out and stay in safe places.” He also requested, “Since the safety of employees responsible for safety is also important, special caution is needed at the response sites.”

“We must prioritize the safety and property protection of residents and concentrate all administrative power on preparing for Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor.’”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, said this at an emergency countermeasure meeting held at 9:30 a.m. on the 5th in response to the northward approach of Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor.’

Mayor Kim presided over the emergency countermeasure meeting at the district’s Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, checking typhoon preparedness measures and the emergency response system.

Mayor Kim emphasized, “Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor,’ which is approaching, is an unprecedentedly strong typhoon expected to cause significant damage. Above all, we must prioritize the safety and property protection of residents and focus all efforts on thorough pre-inspections and maintaining the emergency response system to prevent damage.”

He added, “Although there was fortunately no major damage from the heavy rain in August, this typhoon is different from previous ones as it is larger in scale and accompanied by strong winds. Therefore, please concentrate all administrative power to do your best in typhoon preparedness.”

He especially noted, “With the national holiday Chuseok approaching, the typhoon’s northward movement is causing great concern and anxiety among residents living in low-lying houses, traditional markets, and small business owners. We must minimize damage through meticulous pre-inspection of drainage channels, rainwater inlets, and flood barriers.”

Gangseo-gu is operating a 24-hour emergency response system to prepare for weather disasters such as wind and flood damage. Especially this year, since heavy rain caused significant damage in Seoul, the district is thoroughly preparing for emergencies by maintaining emergency contact networks and conducting pre-inspections of facilities to prevent damage from sudden heavy rain.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-soo) held an emergency safety countermeasure meeting on the 5th to intensively check pre-preparedness measures in response to the northward approach of Typhoon No. 11 ‘Hinnamnor’, confirming key management items and preemptive actions by sector to maintain a flawless response system.

The meeting was conducted with the participation of department heads related to resident safety and damage prevention across Mapo, as well as heads of all 16 neighborhoods joining via video conference to thoroughly review typhoon preparedness and measures.

The district focused on preemptive control of flood-prone underground roads, low-lying roads, riverside walking paths, and bicycle paths; operation of disaster prevention facilities such as rainwater pumping stations and rainwater reservoirs; suspension of construction work at sewer and riverside sites and preemptive safety measures; cleaning and removal of rainwater inlet covers; and safety measures for vulnerable facilities against the typhoon.

Accordingly, the district completed pre-inspections of flood control facilities including rainwater pumping stations, retention basins, reservoirs, sluice gates, and floodgates. Over the past month, 5,501 rainwater inlets were cleaned, and 13 km (93㎥) of sewer dredging was completed. For 55 households at risk of flooding, 48 backflow prevention valves and 119 flood barriers were installed.

Additionally, for resident awareness, weather information was continuously provided to 1,257 households where flood prevention facilities were installed over the past five years. Text messages were sent to 188 local merchant association members and market shop owners requesting removal of rainwater inlet covers to encourage resident participation in flood prevention.

Moreover, typhoon safety guidelines were repeatedly broadcast through various promotional media such as KakaoTalk, district text messages, and social media, while care officials also disseminated behavioral guidelines.

Before the meeting, Mayor Park Kang-soo inspected a road in Ahyeon-dong where ground subsidence occurred on the same day. He checked the emergency temporary measures taken for the subsidence that occurred the previous day and gave special instructions to ensure no inconvenience to residents’ morning commutes.

Meanwhile, the district strongly urged the complete cancellation of Seoul City’s decision on the site selection for the metropolitan resource recovery facility and continued the response task force meeting for withdrawal of the selection on the same day.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) has entered an emergency response system to prevent damage in response to the northward approach of Typhoon No. 11 Hinnamnor.

Hinnamnor is an ultra-powerful typhoon of ‘very strong’ intensity expected to bring record-breaking hourly rainfall of 50 to 100 mm or more and strong winds nationwide.

Since the 1st, Gwangjin-gu has inspected 200 major facilities by relevant departments and strengthened surveillance activities in vulnerable areas in preparation for the typhoon.

First, the district conducted comprehensive inspections of flood control and flood prevention facilities such as rainwater pumping stations; steep slopes around Jungnang Stream and Achasan hiking trails; large construction sites and tower cranes; street trees and tree facilities; and outdoor advertising materials vulnerable to disasters.

Additionally, measures such as bundling street shade structures, removing dangerous banners, maintaining floating advertisements, cleaning rainwater inlets and removing covers, cleaning drainage channels, removing dangerous trees, closing Achasan hiking trails and Jungnangcheon walking paths, and stockpiling sandbags were completed to prevent human and material damage from strong winds and heavy rain.

On the 4th at 9 p.m., the Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters and the Dong Flood Control Teams began Level 1 emergency duty, with all staff responding to prevent safety accidents.

On the 5th, Mayor Kim Kyung-ho visited the Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters to receive reports on flood control status and inspected facilities such as rainwater pumping stations, low-lying areas near Gunja Station, construction sites, walking paths along Jungnangcheon, Achasan hiking trails, and the sedimentation basin of the Ginkgo Dam.

Special patrols will continue until the typhoon warning is lifted, and immediate on-site response will be made upon any civil complaints to promptly protect residents’ safety and property.

Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said, “We have entered emergency duty to prepare for Typhoon Hinnamnor and are doing our best to minimize damage to residents. We ask residents to refrain from going out as much as possible, follow typhoon preparedness guidelines, and pay special attention to safety.”

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) has completed preemptive measures to protect residents’ lives and property in preparation for Typhoon No. 11 Hinnamnor.

Since September 3rd, Geumcheon-gu has sent disaster safety text messages to all residents informing them of typhoon and heavy rain precautionary behavior guidelines.

To prepare for heavy rain and strong winds, 9,000 sandbags were pre-positioned in flood-prone areas such as G-Valley in Gasan-dong and Hyundai Market in Siheung 1-dong. To enable rapid response in case of flood damage, 387 submersible pumps were installed in houses that suffered flood damage on August 8th.

Access to the Anyangcheon entrance road was restricted, rainwater inlet covers were removed, and garbage cleaning was completed.

Additionally, 173 signboards, 84 shade structures, and 16 tower cranes at large construction sites were secured to prepare for strong winds.

Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon of Geumcheon-gu said, “We will concentrate administrative power on disaster countermeasures to prevent any damage to residents caused by the typhoon.”

Jo Sung-myung, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, visited the Daechi rainwater pumping station and Yangjaecheon on the 5th to inspect the site in preparation for the northward approach of Typhoon No. 11 Hinnamnor.