Monster rain becomes the summer norm

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Monster rain becomes the summer norm

Published: 21 Jul. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A destroyed CU convenience store outlet is inundated following heavy rain in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, on July 20. [YONHAP]

Fourteen people were confirmed dead and 12 missing as of Sunday following last week’s torrential rains. With search and recovery operations still underway, the number of casualties may rise. Although no typhoon made landfall, the rainfall reached record-breaking levels. On July 17, Gwangju saw 426.4 millimeters (16.8 inches) of rain in a single day, submerging parts of the city. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said it was the highest single-day rainfall recorded in the region since official measurements began in 1939. On the same day, Seosan in South Chungcheong received 438.8 millimeters. The KMA described it as a once-in-200-years event based on probability models.

Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang, which received more than 700 millimeters of rain last week, suffered multiple landslides. On July 19, a rare evacuation order was issued for all residents. It was the first time a local government had advised evacuation across an entire jurisdiction due to heavy rain. In northern Gyeonggi, including Gapyeong, more than 100 millimeters fell on July 20, leading to casualties there as well.

Earlier this month, the KMA declared the end of the monsoon in southern regions. Yet the downpour has only intensified since. Extreme rainfall, once considered rare, is now being seen as part of a new normal. Experts warn that climate change and rising ocean temperatures are fueling frequent and intense storms, with rainfall increasingly concentrated in narrow and elongated patterns.

As forecasting becomes more difficult, preparedness and real-time response have grown in importance. The deadly underpass flooding in Osong-eup, Cheongju, North Chungcheong last year, which killed 14 people, must not be repeated. In another case on July 16, a retaining wall collapse in Osan, Gyeonggi, killed one person despite prior warnings of ground instability. When such alerts are received, immediate safety action and evacuations must follow.

Urban infrastructure must also adapt. Underground stormwater storage systems should be expanded, and disaster prevention facilities upgraded. Daejeon, a city with three rivers running through it, reported minimal damage despite the latest rains. Officials credited dredging and preventive work carried out earlier this year. This example suggests that thorough preparation can minimize losses.

The riverside areas along the Taehwa River in Ulsan are submerged due to heavy rain on July 19. [ULSAN FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

The debate regarding the removal of weirs built along Korea’s four major rivers has resurfaced under the new administration. President Lee Jae Myung’s government pledged to restore the rivers to their natural state, including dismantling weirs on the Geum and Yeongsan Rivers and fully opening those on the Nakdong. Proponents argue the weirs help control floods and droughts. Environmental groups, however, claim they damage ecosystems and increase upstream water levels during heavy rains.

The latest storm should serve as a reminder that extreme weather can strike again without warning. Decisions regarding the weirs must not be rushed. Policymakers should listen to experts and residents and approach the issue with a long-term perspective grounded in climate adaptation.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.