Yun Byeong-tae, Mayor of Naju, Fully Responds to Heavy Snow and Cold Wave Damage

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] On the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 24th, Naju City in Jeollanam-do is making every effort to clear roads affected by cold waves and heavy snow, care for vulnerable groups, and ensure safety on the way home.

On the morning of the same day, Mayor Yoon Byung-tae held an emergency countermeasure meeting at the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters situation room with the vice mayor, department heads, and disaster response department chiefs to check the status of heavy snow damage and response measures by sector according to real-time weather alerts.

Mayor Yoon said, "With heavy snow combined with severe cold below minus 10 degrees Celsius, a lot of snow has accumulated on the roads, making it difficult for vehicles to travel on the way home," and emphasized, "Please maintain a cooperative system with related organizations such as the police, fire department, and military units, and swiftly mobilize all human and material resources to focus on road snow removal."

He continued, "Please ensure thorough preemptive measures through on-site inspections by region to prevent damage to vulnerable facilities such as vinyl greenhouses, cold damage to crops, and to ensure that vulnerable groups such as elderly people living alone do not suffer difficulties due to being isolated by heavy snow."

Since 5 a.m. on the same day, the city has been continuously conducting snow removal work along major city roads by mobilizing six snow removal vehicles and 68 graders.

Following the morning emergency countermeasure meeting, Mayor Yoon held a video conference at 1:30 p.m. with heads of 20 towns, townships, and neighborhoods, ordering thorough disaster response including instructions for snow removal site operations.

Mayor Yoon requested that until the situation ends, department heads collaborating on disaster response and heads of towns, townships, and neighborhoods maintain their posts and mobilize private snow removal equipment and manpower resources to the maximum extent possible in addition to administrative equipment.

He also reiterated the importance of thorough disaster prevention and measures such as providing guidance on heavy snow and cold wave response through village broadcasts, safety text messages, and social media (SNS), promoting snow sweeping in front of homes, snow removal on roofs of structures vulnerable to snow accumulation, prevention of water pipe freezing, fire in houses caused by electrical factors, falls, cold damage to crops, and securing emergency recovery personnel and equipment.

Mayor Yoon especially said, "Tonight is expected to be the coldest," and urged, "Please do your best to check on elderly people living alone who are care service targets by utilizing life support workers and community leaders, as well as inspect heating facilities in all village halls."

In response to the heavy snow warning issued on the same day, Naju City elevated the head of the disaster response general situation room from the vice mayor to the mayor and is operating the situation room with 40 personnel at the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and 80 emergency duty personnel, two from each of the 20 towns, townships, and neighborhoods.

Naju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bless4ya@asiae.co.kr