Muddy Water Erupts Through Manhole Covers as 'Monster Downpour' Hits Muan

Record-Breaking Downpour of Over 142mm per Hour Hits Muan
Manhole Covers Lifted by Torrential Floodwaters

In Muan County, South Jeolla Province, a 'monster downpour' with rainfall exceeding 140mm per hour struck, causing a dangerous situation where even manhole covers in the city center were lifted by the force of the water.

In Muan, Jeonnam, a manhole cover was seen being lifted due to record-breaking heavy rain. Photo by Nakwangguk, Jeonnam Provincial Councilor on Facebook

In Muan, Jeonnam, a manhole cover was seen being lifted due to record-breaking heavy rain. Photo by Nakwangguk, Jeonnam Provincial Council member Facebook

On August 3, Noh Kwangguk, a member of the South Jeolla Provincial Council, revealed through Facebook, "The area around Muan-eup is suffering severe flooding damage due to the heavy rain," and released a video from the scene.

Noh stated, "It is currently an emergency situation where it is difficult to even assess the scale of the damage, especially in the low-lying areas around the Muan County Complex Cultural Center, where access is being restricted. Please refrain from driving and going outside, and keep emergency contact lines open. We will coordinate an urgent response with the relevant departments."

The video shows muddy water, a mixture of rainwater and dirt, shooting up through a manhole as if the pressure inside the sewer pipes had suddenly increased. The manhole cover was easily lifted, and strong currents flowed across the surrounding roads. If anyone had been nearby, it could have resulted in a major accident, highlighting the extreme danger of the situation.

That night, record-breaking rainfall caused widespread damage throughout Muan County. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, from 7:10 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. that day, the automatic weather observation system (AWS) at Muan Airport in Mangun-myeon, Muan County, recorded an hourly precipitation of 142.1mm.

From midnight on August 3 to 5 a.m. on August 4, a total of 289.6mm of rain fell in Muan. Residents in flood-prone areas of Muan County were ordered to evacuate, and a landslide advisory was also issued.

This heavy rain also resulted in casualties. According to the South Jeolla Fire Headquarters, at around 8 p.m. on August 3 in Hyeongyeong-myeon, Muan, a man in his 60s who had gone missing after being swept away by the current near a river was found in cardiac arrest.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 4:30 a.m. on August 4, a total of 1,836 households and 2,523 people from 27 cities, counties, and districts in six provinces and metropolitan cities?Busan, Gwangju, South Chungcheong, South Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang?were temporarily evacuated due to this rainfall. Of these, 2,498 people still have not returned home and remain in temporary shelters.