Seongdong-gu's 'Disaster Vulnerable Household Care Team' Protects Golden Time in Flooding Crisis

A Disaster Care Team Comprising 78 Local Leaders, Residents, and Officials Formed to Evacuate Flood-Prone Semi-Basement Households... Comprehensive Survey Identifies 46 Vulnerable Households Including Severely Disabled and Those with Flood History... Rapid Evacuation Support Provided During Flood Warnings to Ensure a Safe City Free from Natural Disasters

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) operates the ‘Seongdong-gu Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team’ to support evacuation of disaster-vulnerable households such as semi-basement homes during flood risks.

Recently, sudden heavy rains caused by climate change have frequently led to flooding of semi-basement homes and other areas, resulting in casualties due to missed golden time for rescue.

Accordingly, in early July, the district conducted a full survey targeting a total of 622 households vulnerable to flooding in semi-basement areas (applying the SWIMM method, 100mm/h) identified through review and local residents including community leaders. Among them, 46 households that applied for assistance due to difficulty in self-evacuation were selected as support targets for disaster-vulnerable households.

This is the first expansion by a local government of the eligibility criteria for Seoul’s Donghaeng Partner, a care service for semi-basement flood-vulnerable households, allowing support not only for severely disabled persons and households with flood history but also for those who find self-evacuation difficult.

Furthermore, the district formed the ‘Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team’ to support evacuation of disaster-vulnerable households in case of flooding.

The ‘Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team’ consists of 78 members including community leaders such as tongjang and banjang, residents living in the same building as the supported households, neighbors living nearby, and care public officials. Since early response to flooding is crucial, the plan is to actively utilize the interest and help of neighbors living close by.

When the Seoul Metropolitan Government Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters issues a flood forecast (20mm/15 minutes or 55mm/1 hour) and the Seongdong-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters issues a flood warning (after CCTV and on-site confirmation if necessary), care officials activate the emergency contact system to relay the situation to the ‘Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team.’ The team then promptly dispatches to matched vulnerable households to check the surrounding situation and, if signs of flooding are detected, supports evacuation of the household to designated shelters.

Before full-scale activities, on the 15th, the district conducted safety duty training for the ‘Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team’ covering the definition of disasters, disaster response, basic flood and wind disaster prevention education, and the team’s mission and roles.

Care team members who participated in the training expressed strong agreement with the importance of the Seongdong-gu Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team and conveyed their commitment to work diligently with a sense of responsibility and mission to protect the lives of neighbors.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “I am grateful to the ‘Disaster-Vulnerable Household Care Team’ for joining in protecting the safety of neighbors, and I believe they will become a strong foundation for making Seongdong-gu safer from natural disasters. We will pay even closer attention to establishing a flawless safety net in the daily lives of all residents.”