Isolated Village

A Rice Field Turned into a River

Flooded Commercial Area

Until the retaining wall collapses...

People Tied Up

Torrential rain... Until when?

Yonhap News

After the heat wave, a deluge struck.

As heavy rain warnings were issued for the central regions, including Chungcheong and Gyeonggi, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) from Level 1 to Level 2 at 4 a.m. on the 17th. The heavy rain crisis alert level was also raised from "Caution" to "Alert."

On this day, the CDSCH sent disaster text alerts to areas experiencing concentrated rainfall, such as Seosan, Dangjin, and Taean in Chungnam, urging residents to refrain from going out during early morning hours and to avoid dangerous areas. The CDSCH also requested relevant ministries and local governments to immediately implement preemptive controls and evacuation measures if any signs of danger, such as river flooding, were detected.

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According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cumulative rainfall from midnight on the 16th to 5 a.m. on the 17th reached 307.0mm in Taean, 305.0mm in Seocheon, 264.5mm in Dangjin, and 249.6mm in Hongseong. Seosan saw a torrential 419.5mm of rain.

So far, the rainfall has resulted in one death and the evacuation of 116 people. At around 7:04 p.m. on the 16th, the retaining wall of an overpass at Gajang Intersection in Osan, Gyeonggi Province collapsed, burying a car passing underneath and killing the driver. Landslide advisories were issued for Boryeong and Taean in Chungnam, while landslide warnings were issued for Buyeo and Seocheon in Chungnam.

In five cities and counties in Chungnam, 116 people from 79 households were temporarily evacuated. As of 5 a.m. on this day, 112 people from 75 households had not yet returned home. The breakdown is as follows: 7 people from 3 households in Boryeong, 8 people from 6 households in Seosan, 50 people from 30 households in Dangjin, 34 people from 28 households in Buyeo, and 13 people from 8 households in Seocheon. Authorities provided temporary shelters for 100 people from 66 households in community centers, senior centers, and schools.

Yonhap News Agency

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As heavy rain continued, more transportation and facility controls were put in place. Ten passenger ships on five routes, including Mokpo-Hongdo and Jindo-Jukdo, were suspended. Entry was prohibited to 248 sections in 10 national parks, including Bukhansan and Seoraksan.

Riverside parking lots at risk of flooding were also closed, affecting a total of 90 locations: 29 in Seoul, 14 in Incheon, 7 in Daejeon, and 8 in Sejong.

Some train services were suspended as well. From 4:30 a.m. on this day, regular trains between Seoul Station and Daejeon Station on the Gyeongbu Line were halted. Regular train operations were also suspended between Cheonan and Iksan on the Janghang Line, and between Hongseong and Seohwaseong on the Seohae Line. KTX trains continued to operate on all routes.

In the Chungnam region, which suffered flood damage from the heavy rain, school closures were ordered. The Chungnam Provincial Office of Education ordered all schools in five cities and counties?Dangjin, Seosan, Asan, Yesan, and Hongseong?to close. At some schools, playgrounds were flooded up to adult ankle height, and access was restricted as some entry roads were submerged.

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The rain is expected to continue until the 18th. In Chungnam and Chungbuk, very heavy rainfall of 50 to 80mm per hour is forecast until the afternoon of the 18th, while other areas are also expected to see heavy rain of around 30mm per hour around the 18th.

As of 5 a.m. on this day, the CDSCH had deployed 13,089 people nationwide on emergency duty to prepare for additional rainfall.

Kim Minjae, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (acting Minister of the Interior and Safety), said, "As more heavy rain is expected, the government will do its utmost to respond to the situation and minimize casualties."