Over 6,000 Volunteers, Military Personnel, and Public Officials Sweat It Out for Disaster Recovery
Continuous Outpouring of Relief Supplies and Donations for Affected Neighbors
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] As Typhoon No. 11 ‘Hinnamnor’ passed, record-breaking heavy rain caused unprecedented damage in Pohang City, and the helping hands and material support from various sectors of the public, private, and military have been greatly contributing to the prompt recovery.
During this typhoon, record-breaking heavy rain of up to 116.5 mm per hour fell in Donghae-myeon, with a total of 400 to 500 mm of heavy rain pouring from the night of the 5th to the morning of the 6th, and strong winds with a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 38.6 m/s continued in Guryongpo-eup.
Such heavy rain accompanied by strong winds caused massive damage including road destruction, river erosion, damage and flooding of houses, commercial buildings, and vehicles, landslides, and crop flooding.
As of the 7th, the damage amount has been tentatively estimated at about 201.3 billion KRW, and it is expected that the scale of damage will increase sharply once a full-scale detailed damage survey is conducted.
The city is joining forces with citizens, volunteer and self-help organizations, and military personnel including the Marine Corps to conduct thorough damage investigations and to ensure the swift return of disaster victims to daily life and complete recovery from typhoon damage.
From immediately after the typhoon passed on the 6th, about 3,700 people including military personnel from the Marine Corps and city officials have been clearing soil and debris pushed onto roads and houses, as well as removing branches and trash from drainage channels.
On the 7th, helping hands continued from individual citizens who voluntarily participated in recovery efforts, as well as various volunteer and self-help organizations such as the volunteer fire brigade, wildfire suppression teams, and autonomous disaster prevention groups, along with military personnel.
A total of 6,000 volunteers from nearby areas including Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsan-si, Yeongcheon-si, and volunteer groups from Daegu Bank are working hard on recovery tasks such as cleaning flooded household goods caused by the typhoon, providing drinks and meals for firefighters, and cleaning soil and dust accumulated on roads and houses.
In addition, the city is making every effort for emergency restoration such as normalizing water supply, electricity, and communication in Ocheon-eup, Guryongpo-eup, Homigot-myeon, and Janggi-myeon areas, which experienced power outages and water supply disruptions due to the typhoon, in cooperation with related organizations.
To accelerate recovery in Ocheon-eup, which suffered severe typhoon damage, and nearby towns and neighborhoods, 56 heavy equipment units including excavators and dump trucks, military personnel, and volunteers have been intensively deployed, with multifaceted support continuing such as emergency repairs of Ocheon Market and river embankments.
Warm-hearted support such as relief supplies and donations to comfort residents affected by the typhoon and help them quickly return to normal life is also coming from all over the country.
As of the 7th, the Korean Red Cross Gyeongbuk branch and the National Disaster Relief Association Hamyang branch have delivered emergency relief centers, emergency relief food, and bottled water, the Marine Corps 1st Division has provided 1,500 military blankets, and Suwon City has supported 200 daily necessities kits.
Kolon Sports donated clothing worth 100 million KRW, Couchen volunteer group donated about 40 million KRW, Pohang Homeplus donated about 5 million KRW, and KT supported daily necessities including 500 wet wipes and 500 ramen packs each. The Korean Red Cross also provided meal vehicles at the multi-purpose welfare center in Daesong-myeon, Indeok Apartments in Jecheol-dong, and Gujeong Elementary School, which suffered heavy damage.
Furthermore, donations have continued with 200 million KRW from Daegu Bank, 6.9 million KRW from Suwon City Jangan-gu Office, 5.9 million KRW from Suwon City Yeongtong-gu Volunteer Center (organization), 30 million KRW from Gongyoung Home Shopping, and 10 million KRW from National Assembly member Yongpan Kim.
Mayor Kangdeok Lee said, “In a situation where Pohang has suffered serious damage everywhere due to an unprecedented typhoon, I sincerely bow my head in gratitude for the continuous helping hands from countless citizens, volunteers, and military personnel with a heart for the community,” and added, “We will do our utmost to ensure prompt damage recovery.”
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