Heavy Rain Causes Flooding Fears in Chungnam: Residents Evacuated, Power Outages and Isolation Reported

Dangjin City Issues Evacuation Order for Residents Due to Flood Risk Near River

Heavy rain flooded the Dangjin traditional market. Photo by Dangjin City SNS

Heavy rain hit the Chungnam region on the 18th, causing rivers to overflow and markets to become submerged, resulting in a series of damages.

In Dangjin, 148.6mm of heavy rain fell by noon that day, prompting an evacuation order for residents. The city issued disaster alerts, advising nearby residents to evacuate due to concerns of flooding at Dangjincheon, Namwoncheon, and Sigokgyo. So far, around 1,300 students from an elementary school in Dangjin have temporarily evacuated.

Due to the heavy rain, various roads and the Dangjin fish market have been flooded, and some students have become stranded at schools, prompting rescue operations by firefighters.

A flood warning was issued at Chaewon Bridge in Dangjin at 10:20 a.m.

In Unsan-myeon, Seosan, a woman in her 90s who was buried in a landslide was rescued, and in Daesan-eup, two people were rescued from a flooded house.

In Taean, seven households experienced power outages due to heavy rain in the morning, but restoration has now been completed.

A high school in Dangjin was flooded due to heavy rain. / Dangjin City SNS

Damages also continued in Asan and Cheonan, including the collapse of reservoir embankments.

The Asan city government stated, "Flooding of Gungyecheon in Dunpo-myeon caused nearby farmland to be submerged, and the lower drainage embankment of Munbang Reservoir in Inju-myeon was breached," and urged residents near the river to evacuate to safe locations.

In Dunpo-myeon, Asan, up to 65mm of rain per hour and 122mm in a day caused 12 cases of building flooding, 12 cases of road flooding, 2 cases of blocked drainage, 2 cases of soil loss, and 2 vehicle rescues, mainly in low-lying old downtown areas. In Inju-myeon, one resident evacuated.

Nearby Cheonan also suffered damages, with 105mm of rain falling in Seonghwan-eup and underpasses being flooded.

Five roads, including Seongjeong Underpass, Namsan Underpass, and Sinbang Riverside Road, as well as two riverside walking trails such as Cheonancheon, were closed.

Flooding damage also continued. In Jiksan-eup, Cheonan, houses and stores, as well as some stores in Seonghwan-eup, were submerged, with a total of 13 flooding incidents reported by the morning.

The Korea Meteorological Administration warned that an additional 30 to 100mm of rain could fall in the Chungcheong region through the 19th and urged caution.