Historic downpour batters southern Korea, leaving 1 dead, 4 injured

As record-breaking torrential rains poured down Monday on the southern coast, landslides and flooding damage occurred one after another, centered around Geoje, South Gyeongsang, resulting in one person dead and four injured, with 159 residents forced to evacuate.

A total of 838 reports of damage caused by the heavy rain had been received nationwide as of 10 a.m. Monday, with a preliminary toll of one dead and four injured, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Geoje in South Gyeongsang recorded more than 577 millimeters (22.7 inches) of rain — the third-highest daily rainfall ever recorded nationwide.

In Okpo-dong, Geoje, debris from a landslide struck the lower floors of an apartment building at around 4:42 a.m. Monday. One resident was killed and two others were injured.

On Gonri Island in Sanyang-eup, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, a landslide buried a house in debris, trapping the lower half of a resident’s body. The person was rescued and taken to a hospital.

Geoje received 577.4 millimeters of rain between midnight and 1 p.m. Monday, the highest daily rainfall recorded there since observations began in 1972. Based on 97 synoptic meteorological observation stations nationwide, it ranks as the third highest on record, following 870.5 millimeters in Gangneung and 712.5 millimeters in Daegwallyeong during Typhoon Rusa in 2002.

Hourly rainfall was also at historic levels. Geoje recorded 124.5 millimeters per hour, while Tongyeong saw 97.4 millimeters per hour. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) estimated that rainfall of such intensity would typically occur once every 200 years in Geoje and once every 100 years in Tongyeong.

Cumulative rainfall from Saturday through 1 p.m. Monday reached 851.1 millimeters in Geoje, 704.8 millimeters in Tongyeong, 441 millimeters on Gadeok Island in Busan and 380.5 millimeters in Samcheonpo, Sacheon, South Gyeongsang.

The torrential rain also caused widespread flooding of roads and homes, landslides and fallen trees. In Geoje, residents made repeated calls for rescue as streams overflowed and roads flooded. More than 20 roads, including those in Suwol-dong and Aju-dong, were temporarily closed, disrupting city bus services. A total of 2,030 households in Geoje and Tongyeong lost power.

Highway traffic was also disrupted. The Korea Expressway Corporation closed the Tongyeong tollgate on the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway and directed motorists to use the North Tongyeong interchange as a detour.

Busan also reported flooding in homes and underground parking lots, sections of road caving in, rockfalls, and fallen trees. In Ulsan, a taxi braked suddenly to avoid a fallen roadside tree, which led to the injury of one passenger. Flooded homes and roads, landslides and fallen trees were also reported in Gwangju, South Jeolla and Jeju.

A total of 159 people from 116 households in Busan and South Gyeongsang evacuated their homes due to the risk of landslides and flooding. The government decided to provide 3 billion won ($2.1 million) in special disaster and safety management grants and 40 million won in emergency relief funding to Busan, South Gyeongsang, Gwangju and South Jeolla.

The rainfall also brought some relief from drought conditions in southern Korea. The average water storage rate at agricultural reservoirs in South Gyeongsang rose from 32.2 percent on Friday to 43.1 percent as of 2 p.m. Monday. In Geoje, the rate jumped from 28.7 percent to 73.6 percent.

BY PARK JONG-SUH [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]