Roads flooded as heavy monsoon rains batter southern regions

Heavy monsoon rain battered the southern regions and resulted in twelve damage reports related to road disruptions, soil erosions and landslides with no casualties reported.

Firefighters respond to a flooded road in Geoje, South Gyeongsang on Sunday. [GYEONGSANGNAM-DO PROVINCIAL FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

Heavy monsoon rain battered the southern regions and resulted in twelve damage reports related to road disruptions, soil erosions and landslides with no casualties reported.

In South Gyeongsang, Tongyeong received 226.1 millimeters (8.9 inches) of rain and its neighboring city of Geoje saw a 153-millimeter downpour between Saturday noon and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the national weather agency.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) reported that Tongyeong and Geoje’s hourly precipitation were 64.4 millimeters and 54.5 millimeters, respectively.

The Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Fire Headquarters conducted drainage maintenance work after receiving a flooding report from a resident in Sanyang-eup, Tongyeong at around 6:58 a.m. on Sunday.

In another village in Tongyeong, a stone embankment, an artificial slope containing soil, collapsed due to the downpour at around 8:15 a.m. It made seven people from four households evacuate to a nearby community center.

Soil and fallen rocks cover some parts of a house in Geoje on Sunday morning when a heavy rain advisory was in effect. [GYEONGSANGNAM-DO PROVINCIAL FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

In the city of Geoje, some reported that “soil from a mountain was sliding into residential areas” to the local government and fire services at 7:33 a.m. on the same day.

Heavy rain advisories in two cities were issued at 2 a.m. on Sunday and lifted at 1 p.m. on the same day.

The KMA issues these advisories when precipitation is expected to exceed 70 millimeters for six hours or 110 millimeters for 12 hours.

The weather agency forecast that rainstorms will drench southern areas until Tuesday due to the lingering monsoon front. It also forecast thunder and lightning in the area.

Busan and South Gyeongsang are expected to experience rain with an accumulated precipitation of 50 to 100 millimeters from Sunday to Monday. Some coastal areas in South Gyeongsang are likely to receive more than 120 millimeters of rain. Mountainous areas in Jeju Island are also predicted to have over 150 millimeters of rainfall.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]