Heavy Rain Up to 400mm Expected This Weekend... Early Signs of Landslides

Heavy Rain in Most Regions Nationwide Until Weekend
Check Shelters and Watch for Early Signs Like Water Surges

With forecasts predicting that the monsoon rains will continue until early next week, landslide warning lights have been activated in most regions across the country. Caution is necessary as the ground weakened by the rain may collapse.

On the 14th, the Korea Forest Service raised the landslide crisis alert from 'Warning' to the 'Severe' level as of 10:30 PM the previous day for the Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Gangwon, Sejong, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongbuk regions. Additionally, as of 1 PM on the same day, the Severe crisis alert was issued for Daejeon, Gwangju, and Jeonnam regions where heavy rain is expected to continue.

The crisis alert is divided into four levels: ▲Interest ▲Caution ▲Warning ▲Severe, with 'Severe' being the highest level. Due to the continuous heavy rain since the beginning of this month, the ground has weakened, increasing the risk of landslides.

Landslide damage has already occurred in various parts of the country due to rain that started falling the previous day. At 4:59 AM on the same day, in Jit-ri, Naesan-myeon, Buyeo-gun, Chungnam, soil that slid down from a landslide covered one house.

In the Saedae Piam Tunnel section of County Road No. 3 in Jeongseon-eup, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon, the fourth landslide of the month occurred. The first rockfall happened around 2 PM on the 6th, and after removal work, traffic resumed. However, additional rockfalls occurred on the 7th, just one day later, leading to a complete closure of two-way traffic in that section.

Subsequently, around 1 PM on the 9th, about 300 tons of rockfall occurred along with heavy rain, and on the 13th at approximately 6:37 PM, a large-scale landslide occurred, causing about 10,000 tons of rock to collapse.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported from the landslides on that day, but strong rain is expected again over the weekend of the 15th and 16th, so caution is needed to prevent rain-related damage. On the early morning of the 30th of last month, a tragedy occurred in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk, where a landslide buried a house, resulting in the death of a 14-month-old infant.

On the 30th of last month, household items were damaged in the mud at a house burial site in Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the same day, the country will generally be cloudy until the 16th, with very heavy rain of 30 to 80 mm per hour accompanied by gusts and thunder/lightning expected in most regions. Especially in Chungnam and Jeonbuk, rainfall could reach up to 400 mm.

The Korea Forest Service stated, "Due to the increased risk of landslides caused by continuous heavy rain, attention and caution are necessary," and urged, "Please listen carefully to emergency disaster messages and village broadcasts, and evacuate promptly to safe locations if danger arises."

To prepare for landslide damage, it is advisable to check whether your residence is in a landslide-prone area through the Korea Forest Service's Landslide Information System or the 'Smart Sanlim Jaehae' app and to identify evacuation shelters in advance.

Knowing the early warning signs of landslides can also be helpful. If water springs up on steep slopes or trees shake even when there is no wind, a landslide may occur, so immediate evacuation is necessary.

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