Heavy Rain Bomb in Central Region Until Tomorrow... Human Disaster Due to Unpreparedness for Foreseen Climate Change

Heavy Rainfall of 50-100mm per Hour Forecasted in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Gangwon Yeongseo
13 Dead, 13 Missing... Nationwide Rain from the 6th Raises Concerns of Additional Damage
Analysis of 'Butterfly Effect' Due to Melting Glaciers in the Arctic and Northern Siberia
Experts Urge "Increasing Sewer Capacity and Focusing Investment on Rainwater Treatment Facilities"

Heavy rain centered on the central region has caused the Dongbu Expressway, viewed from Wolgye 1 Bridge in Nowon-gu, Seoul, to be completely closed due to the rising water level of the Jungnangcheon Stream. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee and Donghoon Jung] As the damage from heavy rain in the central region continues to grow like a snowball, another deluge is expected to hit the area by the 5th of this month. Although the possibility of heavy rain due to rapid climate change had already been forecasted, there are criticisms that preparations were insufficient, such as not updating the outdated drainage standards.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 4th, as of 9 a.m., heavy rain warnings are in effect for most of the central region. It is forecasted that Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Gangwon Yeongseo will experience very heavy rain of 50 to 100 mm per hour, with some areas exceeding 120 mm per hour, until the 5th. Expected rainfall amounts are 100 to 300 mm (with some places exceeding 500 mm) in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon Yeongseo, northern Chungcheong, and the five western islands; 50 to 100 mm (with some places exceeding 150 mm) in Gangwon Yeongdong, southern Chungcheong, and northern Gyeongbuk. From the 6th, rain will expand nationwide. Moisture inflow from Typhoon Hagupit (No. 4) combined with a stationary front is expected to create widespread rain clouds. The Korea Meteorological Administration stated that this rain, excluding Jeju, will continue through the weekend.

With another forecast of heavy rain in the central region, concerns over additional damage are growing. Since last weekend, the heavy rain has already claimed 13 lives and left 13 missing. Analysts suggest that this heavy rain hitting Korea is a kind of 'butterfly effect' caused by melting glaciers in the Arctic and northern Siberia. The 'abnormal high temperature' phenomenon, where Arctic temperatures rise above average, causes Arctic sea ice to melt, and this cold air descends, preventing the monsoon front from moving northward and causing it to linger over the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia for an extended period. In fact, early last month, record-breaking heavy rain in the Kyushu region of Japan resulted in about 70 deaths, and in China, the prolonged monsoon lasting two months has displaced over 50 million people as of last month.

Although such 'deluges' due to climate change were already anticipated, experts criticize the government for insufficient preparation. Professor Gong Haseong of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University pointed out, "The monsoon usually ends before late July, but this year it has been prolonged, and the damage caused by heavy rain was not predicted." He added, "As a result, the capacity of drainage facilities was exceeded, increasing the damage." Setting the drainage capacity based on outdated standards led to this 'man-made disaster.'

According to the '2020 Korea Climate Change Assessment Report' published by the Korea Meteorological Administration, summer rainfall in Korea has been increasing by 11.6 mm every decade. Professor Emeritus Cho Woncheol of Yonsei University's Department of Civil Engineering explained, "About 80% of Seoul's sewer facilities are aging and can only handle 10 to 20 mm of rain per hour, but recent heavy rains exceed 65 mm per hour." He added, "Because of these aging facilities, urban flooding is repeatedly occurring."

Experts emphasize the need to establish mid- to long-term plans and prepare for recurring rain damage. Professor Gong said, "Even now, it is necessary to prepare mid- to long-term measures such as 3- to 5-year plans to cope with heavy rain." He added, "We need to increase the capacity of city sewer pipes and focus budget investments on rainwater treatment facilities near frequently flooded areas to improve them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.