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Floodwaters devastate Yesan County as downpour upends lives

Published: 17 Jul. 2025, 17:41

Emergency workers use an inflatable boat to rescue residents stranded by floodwaters in Yesan County, South Chungcheong, on July 17. [SHIN JIN-HO]

As torrential rains lashed Hapori 1-ri in Yesan County, South Chungcheong, before dawn Thursday, elderly residents scrambled for survival, clinging to rooftops and embankments as floodwaters surged through their village. Emergency rescue crews rushed in by inflatable boats after local rivers overflowed and an embankment collapsed, leaving the community submerged.

Park Eun-soon, 74, spent the night frantically packing by flashlight as water crept into her yard. “Don’t even ask. I didn’t sleep a wink,” she said after her rescue. “Our house is on one of the higher spots in the village, and yet even our yard was underwater.” Park was among dozens evacuated by boat from the neighborhood in Sapgyo-eup, where water submerged roads, homes and the village hall.

The downpour began on Wednesday, dumping over 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain per hour. By Thursday morning, the Sapgyo and Muan rivers had burst their banks, worsened by the upstream Yedang Reservoir discharging more than 1,000 cubic meters (264,172 gallons) of water per hour.

At 6 a.m., residents received emergency broadcasts to evacuate.

At the time, alleyways were still dry. Some rushed to greenhouses; others packed clothes and bedding. But within 30 minutes, water surged into the village. By 7 a.m., homes and roads were submerged, and residents had fled to the village hall and embankments. When the floodwaters reached the hall, 10 people clambered onto its roof while another 20 huddled on the Sapgyo embankment, shouting for help.

Most of the village’s 50 residents are over 70.

Homes and greenhouses are submerged by rising waters in Yesan County, South Chungcheong, on July 17. [SHIN JIN-HO]

With roads impassable, 119 rescue teams maneuvered rubber dinghies through submerged streets, guided by drones locating stranded villagers. Crews evacuated people from homes, rooftops and embankments, steering clear of a drainage pump station that posed a deadly suction hazard.

Once ashore, many residents appeared in good health, though shaken.

“This is the worst flood I’ve ever seen,” one said. “My house and greenhouse are completely underwater. I don’t know how I’ll survive now.”

Emergency workers use an inflatable boat to rescue residents stranded by floodwaters in Yesan County, South Chungcheong, on July 17. [SHIN JIN-HO]

Villagers blamed a collapsed embankment at a nearby bridge construction site for accelerating the flood.

“I came back from checking my farm around 6:30 a.m. and saw the embankment had given way,” said Kim Young-nam, 77. “It reminded me of that disaster in Cheongju two years ago.”

In nearby Sinwon 1-ri in Oga-myeon, floodwaters from the Muan River submerged homes and greenhouses. Residents there linked the inundation to Yedang Reservoir’s discharge, which began around 7 a.m.

“I was checking my greenhouse early in the morning, and suddenly got a disaster alert saying they were releasing water,” one resident said. “The land below was already saturated. Letting out all that water at once made things worse.” The resident called the event a man-made disaster.

Homes and greenhouses are submerged by rising waters in Yesan County, South Chungcheong, on July 17. [SHIN JIN-HO]

The storm has claimed three lives in South Chungcheong since Wednesday, as homes and vehicles were swept away. Authorities warned that it will take time to assess the full scope of the damage.

For villagers like Park, the shock is still fresh.

“It’s only after coming to a safe place, seven hours later, that I finally feel relieved,” she said quietly, surrounded by neighbors who had lost almost everything overnight.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SHIN JIN-HO [[email protected]]