Torrential rain in Seoul triggers flood warnings, road closures as heavy downpours hit Korea
Overnight downpours triggered flood and landslide warnings, road closures and evacuations in Seoul and other parts of Korea, with more rain expected through Sunday.
Dongbu Expressway in Seoul is completely closed to traffic on July 18 following torrential rain.YONHAP
Torrential rain swept across Seoul throughout early Saturday, triggering flood warnings in low-lying areas and forcing the closure of major roads as rain-related damage was reported across the capital.
Other parts of Korea, including Gyeonggi, Daegu and North Gyeongsang, also reported flood damage and carried out evacuations from Friday into early Saturday.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Saturday, flood warnings had been issued for Gangseo, Eunpyeong and Mapo districts as of 7:30 a.m. following the overnight downpour. Flood advisories remained in effect for Mapo and Yangcheon districts in western Seoul.
A flood warning is issued when hourly rainfall exceeds 50 millimeters (2 inches) or cumulative rainfall reaches 90 millimeters over a three-hour period.
Earlier, at around 4:50 a.m., the Han River Flood Control Office issued a flood advisory for the Neobu Bridge section of Mokgam Stream as water levels in Jungnang Stream rose, urging nearby residents to exercise caution.
The risk of landslides also increased. The Korea Forest Service raised its landslide warning to the "caution" level across the Seoul metropolitan area, while Eunpyeong and Dobong districts separately issued landslide advisories and preliminary warnings, restricting access to mountain trails and monitoring for signs of landslides.
A pedestrian path near Jeungsan Bridge in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, is submerged on July 18 after torrential rain hit the Seoul metropolitan area since earlier in the day.NEWS1
Traffic in the city was also heavily disrupted. As water levels in Jungnang Stream rose rapidly, all lanes of Dongbu Expressway between the Surak Underpass and Seongsu Junction were closed to traffic beginning at 5:37 a.m. and resumed at around 11:40 a.m.
At around 6:53 a.m., a vehicle fire inside Yongma Tunnel in Jungnang District, eastern Seoul, further disrupted traffic, prompting authorities to close the tunnel in both directions.
As of Saturday morning, access to 29 streams across Seoul remained restricted, while several roads — including those beneath the Jeungsan Bridge and the Haengju 1 Bridge, as well as Garam-gil — were closed. Twenty stormwater pumping stations were also operating partially to help prevent flooding.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it had received 120 rain-related reports as of Saturday morning, including 89 requests for drainage assistance, 27 cases requiring emergency safety measures at facilities and four reports of fallen street trees.
Since Friday, Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, recorded the highest cumulative rainfall at 166.0 millimeters, while Seodaemun District, western Seoul, saw hourly rainfall reach 64.5 millimeters.
In response to the heavy rain advisory, the Seoul Metropolitan Government activated its Level 2 emergency response at 3:40 a.m., deploying 6,642 city and district officials to inspect flood-prone areas and operate its support system for vulnerable residents.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) lifted the heavy rain warning for all of Seoul at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The rain is forecast to continue through Sunday.
An electronic sign at the Gunnam Flood Control Dam on the Imjin River in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi, announces water releases on July 15 after the water level at nearby Pilsung Bridge exceeded the 1-meter (39-inch) threshold for evacuating riverside visitors.YONHAP
Flood concerns across Gyeonggi
The torrential rain also caused rivers to overflow across Gyeonggi. Water levels at the Imjin River's Pilsung Bridge in the border region surpassed the threshold for evacuating riverside visitors, prompting heightened caution.
The water level at Pilsung Bridge, located south of the demilitarized zone in Yeoncheon County, exceeded 1 meter (39 inches) at around 8:10 a.m. and continued to rise to 1.1 meters as of 8:50 a.m., according to the Han River Flood Control Office and local governments.
When the water level at Pilsung Bridge exceeds 1 meter, authorities issue an evacuation order for people near the river. About 60 percent of the Imjin River basin lies in North Korea, with water flowing from the North through Pilsung Bridge and the Gunnam Flood Control Dam before reaching downstream areas such as Paju, Gyeonggi.
A heavy rain advisory took effect in Yeoncheon at 7:30 a.m., with authorities closely monitoring changes in the river's water level. Elsewhere in Gyeonggi, heavy rain warnings and advisories remained in effect, including a heavy rain warning for Pocheon and advisories covering northern and eastern areas such as Dongducheon, Yeoncheon, Gapyeong and Yangju.
The downpour that began Friday brought significant rainfall across the province. As of 7 a.m. Saturday, cumulative precipitation reached 160 millimeters in Gimpo, 155 millimeters in Paju, 149 millimeters in Yangju and 147 millimeters in Dongducheon.
As a result, 5,958 areas across the province, including riverside areas and roads, were completely closed. In Paju, four residents were evacuated after their home was flooded.
As river levels rose rapidly, flood advisories were issued for sections of Gongneung Stream at Wondang Bridge in Goyang, Pocheon Stream at Pocheon Bridge in Pocheon and Sin Stream at Songcheon Bridge in Dongducheon.
Landslide advisories were also issued for Dongducheon, Yangpyeong, Pocheon and Gapyeong as authorities warned of additional damage caused by weakened ground conditions.
The Gyeonggi provincial government has been operating its disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters at Level 2 emergency response since 8 p.m. Friday.
The KMA said the heavy rain alerts are expected to be lifted later Saturday but urged residents in mountainous and low-lying areas to remain on alert, with additional rainfall forecast across the greater Seoul area throughout Sunday.
A firefighter pumps water from a flooded road near Dusan Intersection in Daegu's Suseong District on July 17 after a heavy rain advisory was issued for the city.YONHAP
Heavy rains lash Daegu and North Gyeongsang
Guerrilla downpours of more than 100 millimeters overnight caused widespread damage across Daegu and North Gyeongsang, flooding homes and roads and triggering power outages and rescue operations.
According to the Daegu Regional Meteorological Administration and fire authorities on Saturday, cumulative rainfall from Friday through 8 a.m. Saturday reached 116.8 millimeters in Daegu, 110.5 millimeters in Gyeongsan, 107.5 millimeters in Gimcheon and 88.5 millimeters in Gumi.
Jisan-dong in Daegu's Suseong District was hit particularly hard, recording 89 millimeters of rain in a single hour Friday night and a cumulative total of 183.5 millimeters. The area also received its first emergency disaster text alert for torrential rain this year.
The sudden downpour brought parts of Daegu to a standstill. Flooding was reported at Hwanggeum Intersection and in the Jisan-dong and Beommul-dong areas of Suseong District. Sincheondong-ro, which had been completely closed since 8:20 p.m. Friday, reopened to traffic at 6:30 a.m. Saturday after about 10 hours.
Fire authorities safely rescued six people, including occupants of vehicles stranded by floodwaters on Sincheondong-ro and other inundated roads.
Strong winds and heavy rain also caused trees to fall onto high-voltage power lines, leaving around 400 households in the Sincheon-dong and Sinam-dong areas of Dong District without electricity for about two hours.
In North Gyeongsang, nearly 100 reports of damage were received, mainly from the western parts of the province, including Gumi and Gimcheon.
In Gumi's Goa-eup, four members of a family were rescued after becoming stranded when their home was flooded. Firefighters also removed fallen street trees from roads in Sangju and Gumi, while the Korea Forest Service issued a landslide advisory for Gimcheon on Friday night.
All heavy rain alerts for Daegu and North Gyeongsang were lifted at 1 a.m. Saturday. North Gyeongsang ended its Level 1 emergency response at around 3:20 a.m. and is monitoring weather conditions during the current lull.
The KMA forecast an additional 30 to 100 millimeters of rain across Daegu and North Gyeongsang through Sunday, with some areas in northern North Gyeongsang expected to receive more than 150 millimeters.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
