Expanding "Rainwater Bowls" and Using AI for Prevention... Seoul Steps Up Storm and Flood Preparedness

"Storm and Flood Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters" to Operate 24/7

Intensive Management of Low-Lying Areas, Riverside Walkways, and Landslide-Prone Zones

AI Analysis and Smart CCTVs Introduced for Flood-Prone Areas

Expansion of "Rainwater Bowls" and Deep Underground Facilities

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will operate the "Storm and Flood Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters" 24 hours a day from May 15 to October 15. The city will manage disaster-prone areas such as low-lying areas and underpasses using artificial intelligence (AI) and expand the use of "rainwater bowls," which utilize park ponds and lakes to store rainwater.

On May 11, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held a briefing session on the "2026 Storm and Flood Safety Measures Implementation Status" at the Planning Situation Room of City Hall, presided over by Acting Mayor Kim Seongbo. The meeting was attended by 24 departments and bureaus under the city government, including the Water Circulation and Safety Bureau, as well as key affiliated organizations such as the Seoul Metropolitan Meteorological Administration, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the Capital Defense Command. Together, they conducted a final review of the summer storm and flood response system.

View of the Jamsugyo Bridge area in Seoul. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

The core of the "2026 Storm and Flood Safety Measures" is the intensive management of three major disaster-prone areas: underground spaces, rivers, and landslide-prone zones. The main strategies include strengthening cooperation among civilians, government, military, and police; enhancing data-based forecasting and monitoring; and expanding disaster prevention facilities and retention capabilities.

First, the city will implement preemptive controls and preventive measures focused on three high-risk areas: low-lying and underpass zones with high risk of casualties, riverside walkways, and landslide-prone areas. The city will collect real-time observation data using rain gauges and road water level meters installed throughout Seoul, and use this information to predict flood risks and issue alerts and warnings. Starting this year, improvements will be implemented in flood warning decision protocols to better secure residents' evacuation golden time.

When a flood forecast is issued, an accompanying partner will be dispatched to households vulnerable to disasters living in semi-basement units to check on their safety and assist with evacuation if necessary. Previously, flood warnings were issued by the local district after on-site verification via CCTV and other means. Now, if extreme rainfall of 72 mm or more per hour occurs, each district will immediately convene a situation assessment meeting.

In densely populated low-lying areas with many semi-basement homes, additional small radar-based water level monitoring facilities will be installed, creating a denser flood monitoring network even at the alleyway level. Following 15 pilot installations last year in Gwanak, Dongjak, and Yeongdeungpo districts, 30 more will be installed this year in Eunpyeong, Gangbuk, Seodaemun, and Gangseo districts to enable real-time flood surveillance.

Safety management of underpasses will also be further strengthened. Four dedicated personnel will be assigned to each of the 100 underpasses at risk of flooding. For 11 underpasses particularly prone to water accumulation, the vehicle entry control threshold will be tightened from the previous 10 cm to 5 cm, proactively blocking vehicle entry.

For riverside walkways, entry and exit control facilities will be activated from the preliminary alert stage. Additionally, a patrol team of 983 people and 640 monitoring CCTVs will be mobilized to prevent isolation accidents. For 518 landslide-vulnerable areas, risks will be identified up to 48 hours in advance based on prediction information from the Korea Forest Service, and a forest disaster response team of 154 people will be deployed to operate a pre-evacuation system.

The "accompanying partner" system, which provides close protection for vulnerable residents who may have difficulty evacuating on their own during floods, will also be strengthened. This system, which was introduced nationwide for the first time by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2023, involves local residents and public officials visiting semi-basement households containing people with disabilities, elderly, or children during flood alerts and warnings to check on them and assist with rapid evacuation. This year, the city expanded its safety net by connecting a total of 2,206 accompanying partners to 925 disaster-vulnerable households.

Data-based prediction and real-time monitoring capabilities will be further enhanced to swiftly respond to sudden rainfall. The early detection monitoring range for raincloud movement, which connects rain observation networks throughout Seoul and the metropolitan area, will be expanded to 13 regions. In addition, an AI-based flood depth prediction service, which utilizes past rainfall and road/sewer water level data to notify of flood risks, will be piloted at 15 major flood-prone locations including Gangnam Station and Dorimcheon.

To reduce the sudden inflow of rainwater into rivers during heavy rainfall, the number of "rainwater bowls" utilizing park ponds and lakes will be increased to 15. This year, the city added the Lake Garden and Wetland Garden at Seoul Botanic Park and the retention pond at Yongsan Family Park. As a result, the maximum amount of rainwater that can be temporarily stored increased by 100,000 tons from last year's 750,000 tons to 850,000 tons, which is about 2.7 times the storage capacity of the Sinwol Deep Underground Rainwater Drainage Tunnel. In addition, the city is reviewing construction on the Gangnam Station, Dorimcheon, and Gwanghwamun deep underground rainwater drainage tunnels, which are scheduled for completion by 2030. Before the rainy season, inspections have been completed on a total of 6,699 key disaster prevention facilities and sites, including rainwater pumping stations and retention tanks.

Acting Mayor Kim Seongbo stated, "Storm and flood countermeasures can no longer be just an umbrella for temporary shelter from the rain, but must become a sturdy roof that protects citizens' daily lives," adding, "Seoul City and related organizations will act as one team to ensure there are absolutely no casualties, and will do everything possible to protect the lives and property of our citizens."

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