1. Where is the most dangerous place when it rains?
The rainy season is in full swing. The most dangerous places during heavy rainfall, like we have been seeing lately, are underground spaces. When we say underground spaces, we are referring to semi-basements, underground parking lots, and underpasses. These areas are particularly dangerous because they can flood in an instant when it rains heavily, so extra caution is required. In fact, you may remember that four years ago, in 2022, when Typhoon Hinnamnor hit the Korean Peninsula, a river overflowed and flooded the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Seven residents lost their lives because they could not escape; they were people who had gone to move their cars after hearing an announcement that the parking lot was flooding. That same summer, in the Sillim-dong neighborhood of Gwanak-gu, Seoul, two sisters in their 40s and a teenage daughter died after failing to escape their flooded semi-basement home. According to government data on deaths and disappearances caused by storm and flood damage over the past 10 years, 37 out of 199 people—about 20 percent—were victims of underground space flooding. The reason underground spaces are so lethal during heavy rain is that the entry point for the water is the same as the exit route for people, making it extremely difficult to push through the current to evacuate.
[Gong Ha-seong / Professor of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Woosuk University: You have to evacuate through the same path the water is coming in, and the water is rushing in with a very strong current.]
2. '50cm of Water': Experiencing the Terror Firsthand
To understand how dangerous it is when an underground space floods and how difficult it is to escape, I tried it out myself. I visited the Boramae Safety Experience Center, operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters, where you can experience various dangerous situations caused by storms and floods. Among them, I tried the evacuation drill for a flooded underground space. The simulation involves experiencing conditions when water rises to 30cm, 50cm, and 70cm. When this report aired on the 8 O'Clock News, some comments asked, "Isn't it possible to escape at that level?" or "Is the reporter not trying hard enough?" Before I actually went to try it, I also thought, "I'm strong, so maybe I could escape." But after the experience, I realized how arrogant I had been.
[The water is about 50cm deep, reaching my knees. No matter how hard I push, the door won't open.]
I also watched other citizens try it. An adult woman could not open the door, and even when a sturdy adult man tried, the door only wobbled but did not open. Although it wasn't shown on the news, I also tried it when the water was about 70cm deep, reaching my thighs. At that point, no matter how hard I pushed, the door wouldn't budge at all, as if someone were pushing against it from the other side. The National Disaster Management Research Institute actually conducted an experiment on this. When the water level was about 30cm, both men and women could escape, but when it reached 40cm—about calf height—men could escape, but women could not. And at 50cm, reaching the knees, it was impossible for both men and women to escape.
[Kim Hak-soo / Team Leader, Urban Flood Experiment Team, National Disaster Management Research Institute: Even with just 50cm of water, it has an effect similar to having a 110kg rock outside the door. The door is so heavy that it won't open. In terms of water pressure, 40cm is equivalent to about 70kg of force for a standard fire door.]
The best method is to evacuate immediately if you see any signs of water rising or if water starts backing up from the drain. Some of you may be wondering what posture to take when opening the door. If you need to push the door open, you should lower your body, press your shoulder firmly against the door, and push with all your might. If you need to pull the door open, grab the handle with both hands and pull with all your strength while in a squat position.
[Choi Yeon-woo / Operation Team Leader, Boramae Safety Experience Center: Stand a step away from the handle, press your shoulder against the center of the door, stand slightly at an angle, and put your strength into it.]
3. Use One Handrail When Climbing Stairs
Escaping through the door is not the end. In underground spaces, you often have to climb stairs to get out. When climbing stairs with muddy water rushing in, you must hold onto the handrail firmly. You might think you should hold onto handrails on both sides, but in a situation where water is rushing down violently, spreading your arms to hold both sides can cause you to lose your balance in the current and fall backward. Therefore, you should hold onto the handrail on one side with both hands. Once you have a firm grip, you should move by sliding your feet along the floor rather than lifting them, as if you were skating.
[Choi Yeon-woo / Operation Team Leader, Boramae Safety Experience Center: Since you usually cannot see the stairs due to the sediment, lifting your feet too much can cause you to fall backward due to water pressure, so you should keep your feet as close to the floor as possible.]
Also, it is better to be barefoot than to wear rain boots that make it hard to lift your feet as water continues to flow in, or dress shoes that can be slippery.
4. Give Up Your Vehicle If Flooding Starts in an Underground Parking Lot
If water starts to rise in an underground parking lot or underpass, it is better to abandon your vehicle. Even if the water only reaches half the height of the tires, the water pressure can trap you inside the vehicle. If your evacuation is delayed and you are trapped inside, you must open or break the windows, or in the case of an SUV, open the Trunk to secure an escape route. Some of you might think, "I should quickly drive my car to the surface before the parking lot floods." That is extremely dangerous. A car can float due to buoyancy once the water reaches about two-thirds of the vehicle's height. Once it starts floating, even a slight current can easily sweep the car away, leaving you helpless. Therefore, thinking you can drive through even shallow water is very dangerous. We have looked at evacuation methods, but the most important thing is prevention. Experts emphasize that if heavy rain is expected, you should install sandbags or flood barriers in advance and check drains beforehand. I hope everyone has a safe and trouble-free summer.
Reported by Dong Eunyeong | Produced by Shin Heesook | Video by Choi Dae-woong | Video Editing by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
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