Heavy Rain Bomb in Gyeongnam... No Casualties Despite Flooding and Collapses

As heavy rain pours across the entire Gyeongnam region under a heavy rain warning, a flood advisory was issued at 6 a.m. on the 16th in Gye-nae-ri, Chilseo-myeon, Haman, following the previous day’s advisory at Samrangjin Bridge in Miryang.

According to Gyeongnam Province, the Provincial Fire Headquarters, and the Provincial Police Agency, there have been continuous rain-related damages accompanied by strong winds across the province, but no casualties have been reported.

A stone retaining wall collapsed in a residential area in Hamyang, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]

On the 15th in Hamyang, a residential stone retaining wall collapsed, prompting residents to evacuate, and in Sancheong, a vehicle driving on Hanbat lowland road was submerged, with the foreign driver in his 30s rescued by police and firefighters on patrol duty.

On the 16th in Haman, one driver was rescued after being stranded on top of a vehicle due to rising waters.

In Hadong, a cattle barn was flooded, and in Geochang, a residential yard, as well as a junkyard in Hamyang, were submerged. Trees were uprooted by wind and rain in various locations across the province, blocking roads.

A passenger car is submerged in water in Haman-gun, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]

From the 15th until 7 a.m. on the 16th, firefighting safety measures related to heavy rain included one case of house flooding and 14 cases of road obstructions, totaling 22 incidents.

Due to concerns about landslides, retaining wall collapses, and slope erosion, 236 residents from 177 households were evacuated in advance from the 14th until 8 a.m. on the 16th.

The evacuated residents have taken shelter in village halls, senior centers, relatives’ homes, and nearby lodging facilities.

Currently, Gyeongnam is experiencing an average rainfall of 37.9 mm, with some areas receiving over 200 mm of heavy rain.

Since 7:30 p.m. on the 15th, Gyeongnam Province has been operating at Level 2 emergency response at the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Thirteen riverside parking lots, 126 riverside areas, and one road are being preemptively controlled, with 1,748 provincial and municipal government officials on emergency duty.

If weather warnings expand, the emergency response will be elevated to Level 3.

A provincial official stated, “We will remain vigilant until the heavy rain situation ends and focus on preventing additional damage,” adding, “Please refrain from visiting hazardous areas such as landslide-prone zones and pay close attention to safety text messages and disaster broadcasts provided by the province and municipalities.”

He continued, “The most reliable prevention against natural disasters is advance evacuation,” and urged, “Please cooperate fully with evacuation orders issued by local governments.”

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