Imsil-gun, All-Out Effort to Minimize Heavy Rain Damage

Published 17 Jul.2023 13:34(KST)

Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk, is making an all-out effort to minimize damage caused by heavy rain.

On the 17th, according to the county, a disaster response executive meeting was held under the chairmanship of County Governor Shim Min to check the damage situation during the heavy rain period and to focus on discussing the main response status and future plans.

The county is making all-out efforts to minimize damage from heavy rain. <br>[Photo by Imsil County]

The county is making all-out efforts to minimize damage from heavy rain.
[Photo by Imsil County]

The county recorded an average cumulative rainfall of 323.3mm from the 13th to the morning of the 17th, with particularly heavy rain of up to 350.5mm in Shindeok-myeon.

Accordingly, the Seomjingang Dam is discharging 611 cubic meters per second, causing damage such as flooding of access roads in some villages in Deokchi-myeon, a downstream area.

As of the 17th, there have been no casualties, but a total of 75 cases of damage, large and small, have occurred, including 35 cases of soil erosion, 4 cases of retaining wall collapse, and 8 cases each of agricultural waterway loss and farmland flooding. Damage to crops was tentatively estimated at 6.6 hectares, including 3.1 hectares of rice paddies and 0.5 hectares of soybeans.

In 2020, the Seomjingang Dam also discharged water all at once, causing flooding damage in the Deokchi-myeon area downstream.

Meanwhile, County Governor Shim Min personally visited the affected areas during the weekend to assess the damage caused by the heavy rain.

Governor Shim visited the agricultural damage sites in Iljung Village, Jangsan Village, Cheondam Village in Deokchi-myeon, and Sucheon Village in Shindeok-myeon to check the scale and situation of the damage, and instructed related officials to take prompt restoration measures.

The county is implementing comprehensive response measures, including operating the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and conducting emergency duty to prepare for crisis situations.

With localized heavy rain expected to continue through this week, the county plans to thoroughly prepare for disaster response by identifying vulnerable areas prone to flooding and landslides (263 locations), riversides, steep slopes (117 locations), and areas at risk of casualties.

In particular, in response to the discharge from Seomjingang Dam, the county is conducting pre-evacuation of one person per household in flood-prone areas, periodic access control notifications, continuous CCTV monitoring, and is making every effort to respond immediately and restore quickly upon receiving damage reports.

Safety inspections are also being conducted on drainage facilities, rainwater inlets, and availability of flood control materials in places where many people gather, such as traditional markets.

Governor Shim Min said, “Since the ground is weakened due to heavy rain and more monsoon and heavy rain are expected, thorough preparation is needed against falling rocks, landslides, flooding of underpasses and lowlands, farmland flooding, and river overflows.”

He added, “I ask everyone to do their best to protect the lives and property of the residents through proactive safety measures such as monitoring vulnerable areas, inspections, and restoration activities.”