As of 1:00 p.m. on July 16, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government has activated Emergency Level 2 of its Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
The Korea Meteorological Administration previously forecast that strong rain clouds would move across all of Gyeonggi Province, bringing heavy rainfall until the morning of July 18, with up to 200mm expected in southern Gyeonggi and up to 150mm in northern Gyeonggi.
Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, issued a special directive, urging cities, counties, and relevant departments to thoroughly prepare in advance to prevent casualties from the expected heavy rainfall, which is forecast to be the highest level this year.
The main directives include: ▲preemptive control of public facilities at risk of flooding, such as underpasses, riverside walkways, Sewolgyo bridges, riverside parking lots, and campgrounds; ▲making safety calls and recommending preemptive evacuation for priority groups such as residents of semi-basement homes and those in landslide-prone areas; ▲on-site inspections and deployment of emergency personnel to remove obstacles to water flow at river construction sites; and ▲preemptive inspections and monitoring to prepare for possible landslides due to heavy rain following previous rainfall.
With the issuance of Emergency Level 2, Gyeonggi Province will mobilize 29 personnel across 12 teams to cooperate with city and county disaster and safety countermeasure headquarters, checking the status of damages and response measures, as well as conducting emergency restoration of affected facilities and providing urgent livelihood support.
Governor Kim Dongyeon also stated on July 15, marking the second anniversary of the Osong underpass disaster, "With a renewed commitment not to repeat such a tragic event, we must once again inspect the field and fulfill our responsibilities."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
