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Workers conduct emergency repairs on a damaged water pipe in a flooded commercial district at the foot of Donghaksa Temple on Mount Gyeryong in Banpo-myeon, Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on July 9. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

Three days of relentless torrential rain have triggered widespread property damage across the central region, forcing over 700 residents to evacuate. Emergency responders are currently searching for one person missing after reportedly being swept away by rapids.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on July 10, accumulated rainfall since midnight on July 8 reached 267.1 mm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Heavy downpours battered neighboring areas, with Sejong recording 244.5 mm, Daejeon 240.0 mm, and Cheongju 236.5 mm.

The rain fell with intense ferocity, peaking at hourly rates of 81.5 mm in Sejong and nearly 78 mm in Buyeo and Boeun. As of 5:00 AM today, heavy rain advisories remain in place for northern border areas including Paju, Yeoncheon, Pocheon, and Cheorwon, where 10 to 20 mm of rain is falling per hour. The rain is expected to let up by noon.

The severe weather has caused 455 cases of property damage. Among the 359 public facility damages, there were 70 fallen trees, 70 flooded roads, 24 cases of soil erosion, and 16 sinkholes. In South Chungcheong Province, six river embankments collapsed in Gongju and Nonsan, and damage to a reservoir was reported in Cheongyang.

Private property damage hit 96 cases, including 24 flooded homes, submerged greenhouses, flooded factories, and collapsed retaining walls. Agricultural damage was extensive, with 436.2 hectares of farmland inundated, mostly concentrated in South Chungcheong Province.

A total of 758 residents from 508 households evacuated across seven provinces, including Sejong, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and the Chungcheong and Gyeongsang regions. While 693 individuals have returned home, 65 people remain displaced, taking shelter in community centers and public facilities with emergency supplies provided.

Precautionary closures are still active across 48 roads, 12 underpasses, 8 national parks, and 753 riverside paths. While flights and trains are operating normally, authorities have ramped up on-site monitoring and safety evacuations near high-risk areas downriver from the Daecheong Dam and along major rivers under flood warnings.

                                                                                                         Kim Nam-hyung