'Water Bomb Monsoon Period' Passes Without Major Damage in Gwangju Seo-gu, Prompt Response Draws Attention

Published 20 Jul.2023 14:55(KST)

Effective Operation of Group Messenger for All Public Officials Grade 6 and Above Since Early This Year

Real-Time Situation Updates... Saving Reporting Time and Enabling Coordinated Response

Thorough Measures Including Deployment of Staff in Frequent Flood Zones and Preemptive Installation of Pumps

During the heavy rains that accompanied the monsoon season from the 13th, the Seo-gu area of Gwangju Metropolitan City, which had repeatedly suffered flood damage during previous downpours, passed through without major damage. The proactive response and swift action of all Seo-gu public officials during this monsoon period to prevent significant damage have drawn attention.

According to Seo-gu on the 20th, a total of 320mm of rain fell in Seo-gu from the 13th. In particular, from the 15th to the 18th, more than 65mm of rain fell daily.

As a heavy rain warning was forecasted, public officials in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City are controlling vehicles in dangerous areas and installing water pumps in advance.
[Photo by Seo-gu, Gwangju]

Seo-gu has designated four major areas as habitual flood zones for management: near Seoseok High School, near Dongnim-ro in Yangdong, near Hanam Bridge, and near Yuchon-dong. Every year during the monsoon season or localized heavy rains, flooding damage would occur when a large amount of rain fell in a short period.

However, during this week-long monsoon, no flood damage occurred in any of these areas. Other areas outside these four also passed without significant damage.

Internal evaluations suggest that the active efforts of all Seo-gu public officials to prevent flood damage played a crucial role.

Since early this year, Seo-gu has been operating a group messenger chat room involving about 120 senior officials, including District Mayor Kim I-gang and all officials at grade 6 and above.

Usually, when heavy rain occurs or a heavy rain warning is forecasted, the responsible departments conduct surveillance activities. Although they try to cover every corner of the district, time delays due to limited personnel and reporting systems are inevitable.

This messenger group chat has been evaluated to have partially resolved these issues. During this monsoon period, the Seo-gu messenger group chat was constantly active. When moving for surveillance or other damage recovery, or during routine movements, officials took photos of identified problems and sent them immediately.

Since the chat room includes not only the Seo-gu main office but also all officials at grade 6 and above from each neighborhood, the identified issues were shared and disseminated in real time, allowing all departments to be aware. The responsible department or the relevant neighborhood would promptly resolve the problem and share updates that the measures were completed.

Officials agree that, in effect, all public officials acted as eyes and feet, enabling real-time management even in places difficult for the main office to monitor.

When a dangerous situation was discovered, staff were instructed to notify the Safety General Division at the main office, which then classified and forwarded the information to the responsible departments, enabling organic and rapid responses.

In addition, as a preemptive measure, five underpasses and the Seochanggyo parking lot within the district were immediately controlled during heavy rain warnings.

Also, at the habitual flood zone near Seoseok High School, staff were stationed on-site from the 11th until the heavy rain warning was lifted on the 18th, and water pumps were pre-installed.

The disaster situation room operated 24 hours a day, continuously monitoring the water level of Gwangju Stream and disseminating any signs of danger to each neighborhood for immediate response. Although the rain was not heavy, the riverside walking path was closed due to the heavy rain warning, but when a citizen was seen walking there, they were instructed to evacuate via broadcast.

Each neighborhood also actively utilized local autonomous disaster prevention groups to thoroughly manage drainage before and after the rain.

A Seo-gu official said, “All Seo-gu public officials are working with great dedication for the safety of residents,” and added, “We ask residents to frequently check the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts and strictly follow safety guidelines.”