Pohang City Experienced No Major Damage Despite Heavy Rain... Proactive Response and Preemptive Risk Prevention

Pohang City Strengthens Preemptive Control of Human Damage in Landslide-Prone Areas During Heavy Rainfall

Mayor Lee Kang-deok: "Ensuring Citizen Safety as Top Priority with Thorough Proactive Disaster Preparedness"

From the 15th, Pohang City experienced heavy rainfall averaging 111.2mm (with a maximum of 166mm in Janggi-myeon), but fortunately, no major damage was reported.

On the 16th, Pohang City urgently held a "Meeting on Response to the Risk of Landslide Casualties Due to Extreme Heavy Rain" chaired by Mayor Lee Kang-deok at the City Hall Disaster and Safety Situation Room.

The city, concerned about potential damage such as landslides due to weakened ground from continuous rain, maintained emergency duty level 2 from the evening of the 15th when a heavy rain warning was issued, conducting urgent inspections to prepare for collapses in steep slopes and landslide-prone areas.

In particular, this rain was a localized heavy downpour, with a large amount of rain falling in a short time that was difficult to predict. Pohang City proactively evacuated 186 households totaling 257 vulnerable individuals by the evening of the 19th and strengthened preemptive controls in areas at risk of human casualties such as valleys, steep slopes, landslide-prone zones, and low-lying coastal areas.

Additionally, the city controlled 10 water recreation areas including Jukjang-myeon and Songra-myeon, and blocked access to hiking trail entrances to prevent accidents at the source. Eight walking trails near reservoirs, river entrances, and Oeoji were also controlled, and autonomous disaster prevention teams from eup, myeon, and dong districts were mobilized to promptly address any discovered hazards, focusing administrative efforts accordingly.

Furthermore, the city sent disaster alert messages to citizens regarding vehicle evacuations from floodplain parking lots, issuance of landslide warnings, access restrictions to coastal lowlands and breakwaters, and evacuation guidance due to rising water levels in Gasacheon, Jukjang-myeon, providing real-time updates on the situation. Safety personnel were also deployed to vulnerable locations such as underpasses to manage on-site conditions.

In particular, emergency repairs were promptly completed in areas where some roads were flooded and soil erosion occurred.

As the rain subsided on the 19th, the city began damage assessments of public and private facilities, and with more rain forecasted for the upcoming weekend, plans to strengthen preemptive responses by continuously monitoring weather conditions in real time are underway.

As of the morning of the 19th, the heavy rain and landslide warnings issued for Pohang City have all been lifted, and residents who had evacuated due to the intense rain have all returned home. Road controls on some previously restricted sections have also been lifted.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “We will always prioritize the safety of our citizens and do our utmost to establish a disaster preparedness system that can respond swiftly and preemptively at the slightest sign of danger.”

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