Heavy Rain Warnings in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi... Road Controls
Disaster Alert Raised from 'Caution' to 'Warning'
Lee Sang-min: "Please Take Bold Safety Measures"
As heavy rain poured overnight mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area and Chungnam region, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters was activated at Level 2. Roads are being closed and subway operations delayed in various areas under heavy rain warnings.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that due to the influence of a stationary front, heavy rain is currently falling mainly in the central region, and with the issuance of heavy rain warnings, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has been elevated from Level 1 to Level 2 as of 7:50 a.m. on the 18th. The heavy rain crisis alert level was also raised from 'Caution' to 'Warning.'
Lee Sang-min, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Interior and Safety), emphasized to related ministries and local governments to mobilize all available personnel and resources to prevent heavy rain damage. He first instructed that in case of dangerous situations such as rapid rises in river water levels, all media including disaster text messages and warning facilities should be used to quickly disseminate information.
On the 17th, when heavy rain fell in northern Gyeonggi including Seoul, Hongjecheon in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul was closed off. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heavy rain advisory for Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@
He urged that vulnerable areas prone to damage from concentrated heavy rain, such as mountainous and steep slopes, riversides or low-lying areas, and semi-basement houses, should be proactively restricted from access and nearby residents evacuated. For flood-prone roads such as underground passages, thorough preemptive control according to control standards should be enforced, and detour routes actively guided.
As of 7:20 a.m. that day, heavy rain warnings were issued for Incheon, Seoul, and most areas of Gyeonggi Province. Around 4 a.m., due to continuous heavy rain causing rising water levels, flood warnings were issued for Paju and Dongducheon in Gyeonggi Province, and at around 7:50 a.m., a flood advisory was issued at the Dorimcheon (Sindaebang 1 Bridge) point in Seoul. The cumulative rainfall from midnight to 5 a.m. was highest in Paju, Gyeonggi at 143.5 mm, followed by Ganghwa, Incheon at 141.3 mm, and Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi at 124.0 mm. Seoul experienced strong rain of about 20 mm per hour.
Due to this heavy rain, the entire section of the Dongbu Expressway in Seoul, Surak Underpass to Seongsu JC, and the Naebu Circulation Road (toward Seongsu) from Majang to Seongdong were fully closed from 3 a.m. As heavy rain fell in northern Gyeonggi, subway Line 1 (Gyeongwon Line) between Deokjeong and Yeoncheon, and the Gyeongui Line between Munsan and Dorasan Station were also suspended. The Korea Railroad Corporation sent a notification message stating, "Operation of Line 1 and Gyeongui-Jungang Line trains may be delayed or on standby, so please be advised."
So far, no casualties have been reported due to the heavy rain. However, one person died due to a livestock barn collapse in Nonsan, Chungnam, and an investigation is underway to determine if this is a casualty caused by a natural disaster.
The head of the headquarters stated, "The top priority in disaster response is to prevent casualties," and urged, "Related agencies should strengthen surveillance of vulnerable areas and facilities, and take bold preemptive safety measures such as evacuation and control."
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