Torrential rainfall forces 1,500 to evacuate, causes widespread damage to homes, roads

A vehicle is stranded on a road in Janggye-myeon, Jangsu-gun, North Jeolla Province, Saturday, as heavy rain pours down. (Yonhap)

Over three days of relentless downpours, 1,500 people across the nation were forced to evacuate as heavy rains wreaked havoc on homes, roads and infrastructure.

Heavy rain from Thursday afternoon to Saturday began from Jeju Island and along the southern coast, before spreading across the nation.

Along the southern and western coasts, heavy rain fell at a rate of about 100 millimeters per hour, while southern regions and the North and South Chungcheong provinces experienced 50-80 millimeters per hour. Coastal areas of the North and South Gyeongsang provinces and mountainous regions of Jeju Island recorded maximum rainfall exceeding 500 millimeters. The southern regions, Jeju Island, Chungcheong provinces and eastern Gangwon Province saw cumulative rainfall of around 200-300 millimeters, with many areas reaching extreme levels.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, as of Sunday morning 1,501 people from 1,014 households in seven cities and 46 regions had been evacuated. Of those evacuated, 682 people from 455 households were unable to return home and were staying at temporary shelters, with relatives or in community centers.

There were no casualties reported, but significant damage occurred nationwide. Due to the worsening weather, 77 passenger ships were stranded on 55 sea routes, and 16 flights were canceled as of Sunday morning. Access to 641 sections of 22 national parks, 39 underpasses, 3,061 riverside areas, and 38 roads was also blocked.

In Busan, where over 200 millimeters of rain fell, a sinkhole extends to a depth of about 8 meters, causing two vehicles to fall in, Saturday. (Yonhap)

There were 107 reports of road flooding, 21 cases of soil loss, 170 inundated homes, 26 flooded buildings and one collapse of a retaining wall. In Sasang-gu, Busan, a sinkhole formed on Saturday, along with other road damage.

Crops covering approximately 4,116 hectares were also damaged, an area roughly 14 times the size of the Yeouido financial district in Seoul.

A school of fish appeared on a road in Gohyeon-dong, Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. As a nearby river overflowed, water flooded residential roads, and fish were seen swimming on the flooded streets.

Part of the Daeseong-dong Tombs in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, among the Gaya Tumuli listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, collapsed. The Joman River and Gusan Stream in Gimhae overflowed, forcing the urgent evacuation of around 70 residents.

The heavy rain warning was lifted Sunday morning, with temperatures ranging from 15-24 degrees Celsius in the morning and 20-29 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. Starting Monday, a significant temperature gap between day and night is expected in inland areas.

By Shin Ji-hye(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)