Seongbuk-gu Fully Activates Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters

Seongbuk-gu Operates Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters 24/7 from May 15 to October 15 for Summer Flood and Wind Disaster Preparedness
Composed of 13 Task Forces, New ‘Pre-Reinforcement’ Stage Added to Total 6-Stage Emergency Response System
Expanding Remote Access Blockage Facilities and Operating River Patrol Teams to Prevent River Isolation Accidents
Expanding Support System for Vulnerable Groups in Semi-Basement Housing Safety Care Services
Actively Supporting Installation of Flood Prevention Facilities and Promoting Flood Insurance Enrollment for Residents

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will operate the Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters 24 hours a day for five months from May 15 to October 15 to create a city safe from summer natural disasters such as heavy rain and typhoons.

The Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is organized with the Seongbuk-gu Mayor as the head and 13 task forces. In addition, to respond quickly to frequent abnormal climate phenomena, starting this year, the existing 5-stage response system has been strengthened to a total of 6 stages by adding a ‘Preliminary Reinforcement’ stage.

Seongbuk-gu has secured the drainage capacity of sewer pipes by repairing old sewer pipes and cleaning sewer lines and rainwater inlets since January. Along with this, flood and wind disaster vulnerable facilities such as rainwater pumping stations, public and private construction sites, slope facilities, and protruding structures are being inspected to carry out flood and wind disaster prevention activities during the summer.

Additionally, 82 remote blocking facilities at the entrances and exits of Hancheon Stream within the area are being reinforced to quickly control the stream during sudden heavy rain. At the same time, a stream patrol team is organized and operated to ensure the safety of residents who could not evacuate after blocking the entrance and exit facilities and to prevent isolation accidents in the stream.

Care officials are assigned to 62 households living in semi-basements, and among them, 42 households with severely disabled persons, elderly, and children have additional accompanying partners assigned to do their best to prevent casualties caused by flooding and other flood and wind disasters.

Projects to protect residents’ safety and property are also being expanded, including free installation support for flood prevention facilities (backflow prevention devices, water barriers), promotion of group subscription to flood and wind disaster insurance, and free rental of emergency drainage pumps for flood-prone areas.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “We will not relax our vigilance so that we can respond proactively at any time for the safety of residents from flood and wind disasters,” and added, “The district is actively supporting the installation of flood prevention facilities and subscription to flood and wind disaster insurance, so we ask for your great interest.”