Seoul City Establishes Automatic Alert System for Guerrilla and Localized Heavy Rain... 'Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' Operates 24 Hours

Operation of 'Comprehensive Flood and Wind Disaster Measures' in Summer
Establishment of 'Automatic Rainfall Detection and Transmission System' for Rainfall Prediction and Risk Situation Communication... Proactive Response to Safety Accidents
Joint Response by Districts to River Flooding, Installation of 35,000 Flood Prevention Facilities in Flood-Vulnerable Households
Oh Se-hoon Chairs Flood and Wind Disaster Measures Progress Meeting to Check Preparedness by Sector

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As unpredictable localized and guerrilla heavy rains occur frequently due to climate change, with significant rainfall disparities across regions, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has completed the establishment of a ‘Rainfall Detection Automatic Transmission System’ that detects rainfall and enables proactive response, and has begun its operation.

On the 9th, Seoul announced the comprehensive plan '2022 Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Measures' to prepare for localized heavy rains and other flood and wind disasters this summer, pledging to make every effort to minimize casualties and property damage among citizens. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, last year Seoul's monsoon period lasted 17 days, about 15 days shorter than the average (31-32 days in the metropolitan area), and the annual rainfall was 1186 mm, less than the average (1417 mm), but localized heavy rains were frequently observed. The rainfall disparity between autonomous districts was also large, up to about 379 mm. On the morning of the same day, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon chaired the 'Flood and Wind Disaster Countermeasure Progress Report Meeting' at the Chungmu Confidential Room in Seoul City Hall to check the flood and wind disaster preparedness status in various fields.

The flood and wind disaster safety measures include ▲strengthening the proactive response system for sudden and localized rainfall ▲activating countermeasures for flood-vulnerable areas such as rivers and semi-basement houses ▲pre-summer inspection of facilities for flood and wind disaster preparedness ▲operation of the Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters ▲rapid disaster recovery through public-private-military cooperation ⑥promotion of flood and wind disaster countermeasures with citizens.

Establishment of ‘Rainfall Detection Automatic Transmission System’ for Rainfall Prediction and Risk Situation Transmission... Proactive Response to Safety Accidents

Seoul is strengthening the response system for sudden and localized rainfall to prepare for abnormal weather caused by global warming. The ‘Rainfall Detection Automatic Transmission System’ that proactively responds to rainfall will be operated for the first time this year. In collaboration with the metropolitan Korea Meteorological Administration, Seoul analyzes weather conditions in real time tailored to the Seoul area and has established an initial response system including maintaining a hotline for rapid response.

Plans are also in place to prepare for rainfall exceeding disaster prevention capacity. Seoul is promoting disaster prevention capacity to accommodate rainfall of up to 95 mm per hour, and this year will establish the ‘Guidelines for Establishing a Response System for Rainfall Exceeding Disaster Prevention Capacity,’ which includes definitions of hazardous rainfall, emergency evacuation plan (E.A.P) standards, and action guidelines based on virtual scenarios in case rainfall exceeds this level. The flood and wind disaster response system will also be advanced by integrating the latest innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) into overall flood management including flood prediction.

Joint Response by Autonomous Districts in Case of River Overflow, Installation of 35,000 Flood Prevention Facilities for Flood-Vulnerable Households

Seoul activates countermeasures for flood-vulnerable areas such as rivers, semi-basement houses, and roads when sudden heavy rain or typhoons occur to prevent safety accidents and minimize damage.

River control, which was previously handled by each autonomous district when river water levels rise, will be shifted to a system where autonomous districts jointly respond by river unit. River control and warning criteria will be strengthened, and Dorimcheon, vulnerable to river isolation accidents, will have separate enhanced control standards to strengthen preparedness. A river patrol team composed of about 800 members including autonomous district officials, citizens, and police will also be operated to enable citizens to evacuate quickly on site.

To protect flood-vulnerable households, the city visited 92,485 households directly in March and April and completed inspection and maintenance of existing flood prevention facilities (water barriers, backflow prevention devices, submersible pumps, etc.) to ensure proper operation. By May, an additional 35,000 facilities will be installed in 8,549 households. ‘Care services’ to protect flood-vulnerable households during emergency alerts, ‘on-site mobile teams’ managing major flood areas, and ‘landslide on-site prevention teams’ patrolling landslide-prone areas will also be operated.

Monitoring will be strengthened for roads prone to flooding such as the submerged bridges and the underpass of Jeungsan Bridge. This year, 19 additional ‘road water level gauges’ will be installed, increasing the total to 55 locations. When road control is necessary, traffic control situations and detour routes will be actively communicated using road variable message signs (VMS), outdoor electronic boards, and emergency disaster messages (CBS) to minimize inconvenience to citizens.

Completion of Inspection of 6,390 Major Disaster Prevention and Vulnerable Facilities Including Rainwater Pump Stations and Floodgates

Seoul has also completed pre-inspection of facilities. In cooperation with autonomous districts and external experts, the city conducted focused inspections on the operation and management status of 6,390 major disaster prevention facilities including rainwater pump stations and floodgates. Comprehensive inspections and maintenance were also carried out on disaster-vulnerable facilities such as large construction sites, steep slopes, underground roads, and residential slopes.

Additionally, meetings were held with autonomous districts at the forefront of flood and wind disaster response, and eight intensive review meetings on flood and wind disaster safety measures were held with 23 disaster-related departments and related agencies in Seoul to discuss 95 safety measures. Continuous cooperation enhancement plans are also discussed through meetings with related organizations such as the Korea Meteorological Administration and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

During the natural disaster countermeasure period in summer (`22.5.15~10.15), Seoul operates the ‘Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters’ led by the Seoul Mayor as the head without gaps. Depending on the scale and intensity of heavy rain or typhoons, the headquarters will be divided into 1 to 3 stages, with 13 task forces collaborating quickly and closely. The ‘Flood and Wind Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters’ plans to proactively manage situations by detecting rain cloud bands and predicting disaster risk factors in advance using various rainfall prediction data such as typhoon information, heavy rain forecasts, measurement data from rain gauges, and the Korea Meteorological Administration HOT-LINE.

Support for Daily Recovery in Flooded Areas through ‘On-site Recovery Support Team’, Preparation Complete Including Designation of Facilities to Accommodate 670,000 Disaster Victims

Despite such preparations and real-time on-site responses, if a large-scale flood disaster occurs, Seoul will activate various support systems for disaster recovery in cooperation with public, private, and military sectors. The ‘On-site Recovery Support Team’ will operate to listen to inconveniences of residents in flooded areas and support recovery to daily life. Ten large construction companies in Seoul will provide large-scale construction equipment, and the Capital Defense Command will support 2,899 troops and heavy equipment such as excavators from subordinate divisions and brigades in their respective jurisdictions.

In addition, the city has designated 1,044 temporary housing facilities capable of accommodating a total of 669,286 people by utilizing schools, senior centers, and government offices in 25 autonomous districts in preparation for disaster victims. Disaster relief supplies including 5,347 sets of relief goods and 874 relief tents are also stockpiled and managed. Furthermore, as citizens’ interest and demand for disaster information continue to rise, Seoul actively provides disaster action guidelines and disaster site information to citizens through 23,500 video media screens including outdoor electronic boards, bus stops, and monitors inside subway cars throughout the summer.

Han Yoo-seok, Director of the Seoul Water Circulation Safety Bureau, said, “Due to abnormal climate, large-scale casualties and property damage are occurring worldwide, and the risk of flood and wind disasters is increasing every year,” adding, “We will do our best to ensure that no flood and wind disaster damage occurs this year.”

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