: The Paper
Recently, affected by continuous heavy rains, several places in South Korea have suffered heavy rains for several days, causing natural disasters such as mountain torrents and mudslides. The central and southwestern regions have been severely damaged. At the same time, the No. 5 typhoon "Jangmi" (JANGMI) of 2020 will also land in southern South Korea on August 10. Korean media analyzed that affected by this, South Korea is likely to usher in the longest rainy season since meteorological records this year. .
This is the scene of a mudslide disaster taken in the northern part of Chungcheongdo, South Korea on August 3. According to a report from the Yonhap News Agency on the 9th, heavy rains have caused large-scale floods in Seoul and surrounding areas such as the Gyeonggi-do , the central part of Chungcheong-do, and the southwestern part of Jeolla-do. The flood washed away. Affected by this, many places have implemented traffic control to ensure safety. For example, some major expressways along the Han River in Seoul have been banned. A total of seven railways across South Korea were blocked, and 12 flights at Gwangju Airport were also cancelled. In addition to traffic being greatly affected, heavy rains have also caused damage to flood control facilities in many places in South Korea and flooded farmland. The South Korean government pointed out in a report that as of the 9th, nearly 23,000 hectares of farmland in the country were flooded, and heavy rains caused a total of 13,370 cases of public and private property losses. The Korean Forestry Administration also stated that as of the 9th, 667 landslide incidents had been reported nationwide. In response to this, the Korean Disaster Detection Center has raised the landslide warning to the highest level in all areas except Jeju Island and . According to South Korea’s "Joongang Ilbo" on the 9th, on the 8th, the Seomjin River embankment near Namwon City, Jeollabuk-do, , was damaged by heavy rain, causing the surrounding farmland and more than 70 residential houses to be flooded. On the 9th, the main embankment of the Nakdong River in Changnyeong County, Gyeongnam collapsed, causing two villages to be flooded. This is after the government of the former president Lee Myung-bak carried out the "Four Major Rivers Project", the Han River, Geum River, Nakdong River, and Yeongsan River The main dike of the four major rivers collapsed for the first time.
The South Korean government announced on the 9th that as of the 9th, floods and landslides have caused 31 deaths, 11 missing, and nearly 6000 displaced. A total of more than 5,900 people were forcibly moved across the country, and about 4,600 of them stayed in temporary shelters after being hit by natural disasters in their areas.
In response to the disaster, South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced last week that seven areas of the country that suffered heavy rains were designated as "special disaster areas" in order to provide financial support for their post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work, and local residents can reduce water and electricity bills. Public expenditure. On the 9th, the governor of Jeollanam-do asked the central government to designate the city that was hit by heavy rain as a "special disaster area." Typhoon relay
may contribute to the longest rainy season
It is worth noting that natural disasters such as floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall may not end in a short time.
"Joongang Daily" published an article that this year's No. 5 Typhoon "Rose" entered the southern waters of Jeju Island on the morning of the 10th and is expected to make landfall on the south coast near Busan and at around 3 pm on the 10th. Heavy rainfall will occur on the southern coast of Jeju, southern Jeju Island, and mountainous areas. The Korea Meteorological Agency has issued a typhoon warning on the far south of Jeju Island and rainstorm warnings on Busan and Gyeongnam on the 9th. An official from the Meteorological Agency said: "As of the 11th, precipitation of 100 mm to 200 mm may occur in most parts of South Korea, and precipitation in many areas can reach up to 300 mm." According to
data, the longest rainy season recorded in South Korea was 49 days in 2013. As for 2020, as of August 9, South Korea has continued to rain for 47 days. Coupled with the upcoming typhoon, this year's rainy season may be longer than 2013.
The worst rainy season disaster in Korean history occurred in 2011, when 78 people died or were missing due to rain. The disaster situation in the rainy season in 2020 may set new records. At present, the relevant departments of the Korean government are still on high alert and are taking preventive measures for the upcoming typhoon.
Surging News Reporter Nan Boyi Intern He Xiaoxue
