Pohang City Reports No Major Damage Despite Heavy Rain... Proactive Response Prevented Risk Factors

Localized Heavy Rainfall: Intensive Inspection of Areas Prone to Landslides and Human Casualties

One-Third of Staff on Emergency Duty... Real-Time Situation Sharing and Immediate Handling of Hazards

Pohang City announced that although heavy rain, averaging 91.3 mm (with a maximum of 168.5 mm at Daesong Unjesan), fell from late at night on the 8th until 10 a.m. on the 9th, fortunately, no significant damage was reported.

Lee Gangdeok, mayor of Pohang, is visiting Naengcheon, a disaster recovery project site, on the 3rd ahead of the heavy rain to check the construction status.

When a heavy rain advisory was issued at 11:30 p.m. on the 8th, the city activated Emergency Response Level 1, requiring at least two staff members to be on duty in every department at both the township and city hall. Then, as soon as a heavy rain warning was issued at 12:40 a.m. on the 9th, one-third of all staff, including those in township offices, were mobilized for emergency duty, and urgent inspections were conducted in areas at risk of landslides and steep slopes.

In particular, as this rainfall was a localized downpour with a large amount of rain in a short period, Pohang City shared real-time updates through its disaster communication channel to ensure a swift initial response, and administrative resources were focused on immediately addressing any identified hazards.

The city also convened the township voluntary disaster prevention teams to work on maintaining drainage channels, rainwater inlets, manholes, and key flood-prone areas. Safety alert messages were sent to citizens, advising them to avoid dangerous areas and providing real-time updates on the situation.

Additionally, access to certain high-risk zones such as the Jukjang-myeon water recreation management area, Seonlindae underpass, and Seonggok underpass was restricted to prevent accidents. Rainwater pumping stations were operated in a timely manner to ensure smooth drainage. In cooperation with related agencies, emergency restoration was immediately completed in areas affected by localized flooding and soil runoff.

On the morning of the 9th, Mayor Lee Kangdeok presided over an emergency meeting at the Disaster and Safety Situation Room, ordering further reinforcement of safety measures in landslide and flood-prone areas during the period of heavy rain, and instructed that residents be evacuated immediately at the discretion of township heads if any signs of danger were detected.

He also emphasized that, contrary to weather forecasts, sudden downpours could occur, so a thorough analysis should be conducted with meteorological experts to prepare accordingly. He called for all administrative resources to be focused on protecting citizen safety, including maintaining readiness to deploy backup pumps at any time.

Going forward, Pohang City plans to closely investigate whether there has been any damage to public or private facilities, and, as rain is forecast to continue, will strengthen proactive measures by monitoring weather conditions in real time.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok said, "As the rain forecast continues, we are doing our utmost to establish a disaster preparedness system so that we can respond quickly to any dangerous situations. We will always put the safety of our citizens first and do our best to respond promptly to any signs of danger."

As of 2 p.m. on the 9th, the heavy rain warning for Pohang City has been lifted, and roads that were closed for safety reasons have reopened to traffic. However, the Jukjang-myeon water recreation management area remains closed.