Torrential Rain Hits Gimpo,
Emergency Response in Full Effect
On August 13, in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, where a heavy rain warning was issued, a series of damages caused by torrential rain occurred, including the discovery of a driver who had been swept away by a river and found dead in his vehicle.
According to the Gimpo Fire Station, as of 2:30 p.m. that day, a total of 156 reports of heavy rain-related damage had been received in Gimpo. At around 12:14 p.m., a 119 emergency call was made from Daebo Stream in Gochon-eup, Gimpo, reporting, "The car is being swept away and the door won't open." Police and fire authorities searched the nearby river and, about five hours later at 5:55 p.m., found the vehicle approximately one kilometer from the accident site. Rescue workers used ropes and other equipment to retrieve the driver, believed to be a man in his 80s, from the back seat, but he was already deceased.
Firefighter rescuing a missing person from a vehicle submerged in a river. Provided by Gimpo Fire Station.
There were also cases of people being stranded and flooding damage due to the heavy rain. At around 11:20 a.m., rainwater flooded the kindergarten attached to an elementary school in Gochon-eup, leaving about 10 children stranded. Teachers and staff carried the children out of the building to safety. At 12:13 p.m., the water supply room of an apartment complex in Singok-ri, Gochon-eup, was flooded, cutting off electricity. Korea Electric Power Corporation temporarily suspended power supply to four locations, including other flooded areas nearby, affecting about 1,300 households. After drainage operations and line inspections, power was restored at 2:23 p.m.
The Gimpo city government activated its Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and placed all departments on emergency duty. At 9:30 a.m. that day, the heavy rain advisory in Gimpo was upgraded to a heavy rain warning, and as of 4:00 p.m., the accumulated precipitation had reached 227 millimeters. The Seoul Metropolitan Meteorological Administration stated, "Although the rain has weakened for now, a band of strong rain clouds is moving in from the West Sea," and warned, "Heavy rain is expected from tonight through early tomorrow morning, so please exercise special caution."
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