Flood Warnings Issued for Gangseo, Eunpyeong, and Mapo in Seoul Due to Torrential Rain... Complete Closure of Dongbu Expressway

Seoul Maintains Emergency Response Overnight
120 Rain-Related Incidents Reported, Including Drainage Support, Fallen Trees, and Facility Safety Issues

As heavy rain fell across Seoul overnight, flood warnings were issued for Gangseo-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, and Mapo-gu. Traffic is also being restricted on several roads, including the Dongbu Expressway.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, due to the torrential rain overnight, flood warnings were issued for Gangseo-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, and Mapo-gu as of 7:30 a.m. on July 18. Flood advisories have also been issued for Mapo-gu and Yangcheon-gu. A flood warning is issued when the rainfall exceeds 50mm per hour or 90mm within three hours, while a flood advisory is issued when the rainfall exceeds 55mm per hour or 20mm within 15 minutes.

As water levels rose due to heavy rain during the early morning hours, the Han River Flood Control Center issued a flood advisory at 4:50 a.m. for the Neobudaegyo area on Mokgamcheon, notifying residents to prepare for potential flooding in high-risk areas.

The entire Dongbu Expressway in Seoul has been fully closed due to heavy rain on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News.

With the Korea Forest Service issuing a landslide alert for all areas of the capital region due to heavy rainfall, Eunpyeong-gu and Dobong-gu respectively received a landslide advisory and a preliminary landslide warning. Mapo-gu also banned entry into forests and urged residents to be alert for early signs of landslides.

At approximately 5:37 a.m., as water levels at Jungnangcheon rose during a heavy rain alert, all traffic was completely restricted on the Dongbu Expressway (from Surak Underground Road to Seongsu JC). At around 6:53 a.m., a vehicle fire broke out inside the Yongma Tunnel in Jungnang-gu, leading to a full closure of the tunnel to traffic.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that a total of 120 rain-related reports had been filed, including 89 requests for drainage support, four incidents of fallen trees, and 27 cases of facility safety measures.

As of 7:30 a.m., 29 streams within Seoul were closed to the public, and four roads—including the area under Jeungsan Bridge, under Hangju 1 Bridge, the Dongbu Expressway, and Garam-gil—were also restricted. Twenty rainwater pumping stations were operating partially as flood control facilities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government sent an official notice to all departments and affiliated agencies requesting strict safety management in preparation for heavy rainfall, and also communicated updates via text message and social media. The city raised its emergency operations to level 2 at 3:40 a.m. in response to the heavy rain alert. As a result, a total of 6,642 city and district government officials were on emergency duty. The city strengthened monitoring by inspecting vulnerable areas and facilities such as rivers, low-lying areas, and storm drains, and maintained communication systems for care officials and companion partners.

The entire East Seoul Beltway is completely closed on the 18th due to heavy rain. Yonhap News

The Korea Meteorological Administration first issued a heavy rain advisory for all of Seoul at 1:00 a.m. on the same day, then upgraded the alert to a heavy rain warning for the southwestern and northwestern parts of the city at 3:40 a.m., and lifted the warning at 7:30 a.m. A heavy rain advisory and warning are issued when rainfall is expected to exceed 60mm and 90mm in three hours, respectively, or 110mm and 180mm in twelve hours, respectively.

Eunpyeong-gu recorded the highest rainfall in Seoul between July 17 and 18, with a maximum precipitation of 166.0mm. Seocho-gu experienced a peak rainfall rate of 64.5mm per hour at one point.

The rain in Seoul is forecast to continue until July 19. The expected cumulative rainfall in Seoul over the three days from the previous day is 100 to 200mm, with some areas possibly receiving more than 300mm.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, "We will continue to maintain situation management and emergency response systems to thoroughly address the impacts of the heavy rain."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.