242mm of Torrential Rain Floods Gochang... Governor Shim Orders Recovery Efforts at Affected Sites

300mm of Torrential Rain in 2023... Repeated Deluges
The Importance of Proactive Inspections and On-Site Response in High-Risk Areas

As over 242mm of torrential rain poured down on Gochang in Jeollabuk-do for two consecutive days, resulting in flooding and damage to facilities, Shim Deokseop, Governor of Gochang County, visited the affected sites to inspect the damage situation and ordered prompt recovery and support for residents.

Amid over 240mm of heavy rain falling over two days in Gochang County, Jeonbuk, on the 31st, Shim Deokseop, the governor of Gochang County, visited the damage site and ordered, "Mobilize all administrative resources for prompt recovery and support to stabilize the residents." Provided by Gochang County Office

According to Gochang County on August 31, the heavy rainfall caused damage to homes, farmland, and roads across the region.

As of 11:00 a.m., Gochang County recorded a cumulative rainfall of 242.1mm over the two days from August 30 to 31. Particularly, a heavy rain warning was issued at 5:30 a.m., and intense downpours nearing 30mm per hour were observed for a time in the morning, heightening tensions.

With increased river inflow, the Yeongsangang Flood Control Center issued a flood warning for Bujeonggyo in Asan-myeon at 9:10 a.m., completely restricting passage for residents and vehicles. In nearby Samin-ri, Asan-myeon, roads were flooded, prompting residents living in low-lying areas to evacuate to community centers and similar facilities.

As of 10:30 a.m., the Gungsan Reservoir in Simwon-myeon exceeded its flood level of 7.5 meters with the current water level at 7.96 meters, prompting emergency water release measures to lower the level.

As of 11:00 a.m., a total of five cases of damage to public facilities (such as road damage) and ten cases of damage to private facilities (including flooded homes) had been reported due to the heavy rain. Access to riverfront roads and walking trails was restricted, and general road traffic has been controlled on routes such as Asan-myeon Namsanjae to Juksanjae Road and Byeongam Interchange.

In response, Governor Shim directly toured the affected sites to check the drainage situation and the safety of facilities, and instructed inspections for areas with the potential for further damage.

Governor Shim also decided to continue on-site inspections even in areas where the water has already receded, as secondary damages such as ground weakening or soil erosion may still occur. The county plans to promptly assess the scale of damages and provide necessary support as soon as resident losses are confirmed.

Gochang has previously experienced damages from torrential rains, including farmland flooding, road washouts, and soil outflow. In July 2023, more than 300mm of rain fell in Gochang, resulting in damage to hundreds of public and private facilities and the mobilization of civil, government, and military personnel for emergency restoration.

Recently, with patterns of brief but intense rainfall becoming more frequent, the importance of not only post-disaster restoration but also proactive inspection and control of high-risk areas during rainfall has increased. Even after this downpour has passed, Gochang County plans to continue on-site inspections, focusing on areas feared to be at risk of further damage, while closely monitoring weather conditions.

At the damage site, Governor Shim emphasized, "We must do our best to provide necessary support so that residents can return to their daily lives as quickly as possible, along with prompt recovery," and urged that there be no gaps in on-site response to prevent additional damage from occurring.

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