South Korea: Floods cause casualties and damage nationwide August 4 /update 1

Event

On Tuesday, August 4, South Korean officials announced that at least 13 people had been killed amid nationwide flooding caused by the heavy rainfall seen in recent days. A further 13 individuals are missing. In Gyeonggi Province, six people died when a landslide buried a worksite in the mountains. Large amounts of farmland have been inundated and parts of Seoul are reportedly underwater, with key highways and bridges flooded in the capital after the Han River burst its banks. Local media reports indicate that North Korea opened the floodgates of a border dam on Monday, August 3, without giving advance warning to its neighbor. While the resulting rise in water levels in the Imjin River is not currently considered a concern, the incident has raised fears that further such actions may bring waters to dangerous levels.

Further rainfall is expected in the near term, with weather officials forecasting between 50-100mm (2-4 in) of rainfall on Tuesday. Disruption to transportation, business, and utilities is likely.

Advice

Those in South Korea are advised to monitor local weather reports in the near term, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, anticipate power and transportation disruptions, and avoid wading or driving through floodwaters.