At Least 9 Dead in Record Seoul Flooding

PC: Fox 35 Orlando

In this week’s torrential rain, at least nine people died, flooding homes, roads, and subway stations.
Although the heavy rains were decreasing, they were predicted to continue through Thursday, and could produce flooding and mudslides, officials warned.

South Korea’s Interior and Safety Ministry has said that three of the dead were caught in a flooded, basement-level structure and about 17 others were injured and about seven people are still missing. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deaths of two Chinese citizens on Tuesday. Another died when he was electrocuted while working outside during the storm.
Since heavy rain began lashing Seoul on Monday evening, more than 500 people have been evacuated, with the ministry providing blankets, tents, and other items. Even though cleanup and rescue services are already underway, as of Wednesday 145 people had been rescued by the fire department. As of Wednesday morning, about 2,800 structures — including shops, houses, retaining walls, and other forms of infrastructure — had been damaged, although many had been repaired.
For example, by Tuesday night, portions of Seoul had been hit with up to 497 millimeters (19.6 inches) of rain. At one point, the city had recorded 141.5 millimeters (5.6 inches) of rain per hour– the highest since 1907, when the city started keeping records.

According to Seoul Metro, drains backed up and sent water back into some streets and subway stations in Seoul. Due to flooding, some stations were closed on Monday night, with temporary suspensions on the subway line.
As the floodwaters recede, debris and wreckage are seen scattered across streets, shopkeepers trying to salvage their goods, and damaged vehicles that have been swept up in the floodwaters.

Down south of the Han River, the wealthy, modern Gangnam district suffered most, as it was flooded and lost power.
In a statement Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sent his condolences to the victims and said he would conduct an on-site inspection to look for ways to prevent further damage. He also warned about the need to revise the country’s disaster management system since climate change will only lead to increasingly intense and frequent natural disasters.

Several countries in East Asia are experiencing much more intense rainfall each day, which means the regular, predictable summer monsoons are getting stronger and less predictable. This is the prediction of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
CNN meteorologists warn of continuing rounds of heavy rain which will subside late Thursday afternoon.
For August, Seoul typically gets an average of 348 millimeters (13.7 inches) of rain– the wettest month of the year. A couple locations have been observed getting this much rain in a single day. In parts of Japan, people also saw heavy rain last night. Some regions of Hokkaido have been experiencing flooding. There have been no injuries reported so far. Officials are cautioning about the risk of flash floods and landslides.