Pocheon City Hit by 94mm of Rain per Hour... Emergency Level 3 Proactively Activated at Disaster and Safety Headquarters

Pocheon City Mobilizes All Departments for Emergency Duty
Mayor Baek Younghyun: "Citizen Safety Is the Top Priority... Full-Scale Response"
All Administrative Resources Deployed to Respond to Heavy Rainfall

Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Younghyun) proactively activated Emergency Level 3 of the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters as of 7:00 a.m. on July 20.

Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon, is directly visiting Pocheon Bridge (Pocheon Stream) and the affected areas in Naechon-myeon where a flood warning was issued on the 20th, urgently inspecting the situation on site. Photo by Pocheon City

In response to the heavy rainfall that poured down overnight, Pocheon City transitioned to Emergency Level 3 operations. This measure was taken with the highest priority placed on protecting the lives and property of citizens, even after the heavy rain warning was lifted. All departments were mobilized to emergency duty to prevent further damage through swift situation assessment and the establishment of urgent countermeasures.

Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon, personally visited Pocheon Bridge (Pocheon Stream) and the affected areas in Naechon-myeon, where a flood warning was issued, to urgently inspect the situation on site. He also urged those on the ground to maintain thorough preparedness and to respond promptly with recovery efforts.

Mayor Baek emphasized, "This is the heaviest rainfall recorded so far this year," and stressed the need to conduct meticulous inspections of disaster-prone areas, such as those at risk of landslides or human casualties, and to make every effort to minimize damage.

Under the Emergency Level 3 system, all city hall employees and staff from all 14 towns, townships, and neighborhoods have been mobilized for emergency duty. They are closely investigating the damage in each area and carrying out rapid emergency recovery and support. Patrols have been intensified in disaster-prone areas, and relief measures are also being implemented in parallel.

According to the current damage status, various incidents have been reported throughout Pocheon City, including flooding of homes and roads, small-scale landslides, and backflow of drainage facilities. In particular, near the Education and Culture Center in Naechon-myeon, Wangsucheon Stream overflowed after 94mm of rainfall was recorded in one hour, temporarily isolating some residents, but all were safely evacuated.

Additionally, some sections of the road from Gojangchon Samgeori to Seopa Intersection in Naechon-myeon are currently closed to traffic due to flooding.

The total number of reported damage cases from all 14 towns, townships, and neighborhoods continues to be tallied, but fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.

To minimize damage from this heavy rain, Pocheon City is operating damage reporting centers at each local community service center and is taking comprehensive measures to alleviate citizen inconvenience and ensure a swift return to normalcy. The city is also monitoring weather conditions in real-time in preparation for additional forecasted rainfall and plans to further strengthen its emergency response system if necessary.

A Pocheon City official urged, "We ask all citizens to pay close attention to weather advisories and city announcements so that we can respond proactively to unexpected natural disasters."

Meanwhile, citizens who discover facilities or areas at risk of safety accidents are requested to immediately report them to the Disaster Situation Room at Pocheon City Hall.