Intense monsoon rains have battered central and southern parts of South Korea, lashing the country with the most rainfall in 120 years. At least four people have died and several others were rescued as floodwaters swept away cars and triggered landslides. Authorities issued their highest-level landslide alert on Thursday, warning that the next 48 hours will be critical.
Emergency crews responded to reports of sunken vehicles and rescued three people from another car just an hour earlier. A man in his 50s died after his car was swept away in floodwaters, while two men in their 80s were killed in flood-related situations. At least 1,300 people have been asked to evacuate due to flooding from a nearby stream.
Heavy rain triggered a landslide in Cheongyang, leaving two residents briefly trapped before being rescued. Over 100 residents were forced to leave their homes. More than 400mm of rain has already fallen in parts of South Chungcheong Province since Wednesday. The Korea Forest Service raised the landslide risk to its highest “serious” level in central regions.
The national disaster agency raised its emergency response to Stage 2, allowing for stronger coordination between national and local authorities. Residents are being advised to avoid underground roads, streams, and flood-prone zones, especially in low-visibility hours. The erratic rainfall pattern is linked to the collision of a descending cold air mass with warm, moist southwesterly winds from the North Pacific.
Floods have inundated roads and damaged property across the region. Train services were partially suspended due to waterlogged tracks, while at least 29 streams and four riverside parking lots were closed in the Seoul metropolitan area. Forecasts show that southern Gyeonggi could receive up to 80mm of rain per hour through Thursday night.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/south-korea-rain-landslide-deaths-evacuation-latest-b2790610.html