▲ A commercial area in Okpo-dong, Geoje, left devastated by heavy rainfall
"I have never seen a flood like this in my life. It is absolute chaos."
On the morning of August 17, around the commercial district in Okpo-dong, Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.
Merchants and residents were seen moving busily across the district—swept through by extreme downpours overnight—to check for damage to their businesses or begin recovery efforts.
The glass windows of some stores were smashed to pieces, and chunks of asphalt torn away by fierce currents were scattered across roads.
Several residents carried basins back and forth between flooded stores, repeatedly bailing out muddy water pooled on the floors.
Even inside stores where the water had receded, mud and debris remained, vividly showing the conditions during the heavy rain.
A 73-year-old resident surnamed Lee, who has run a photo studio here for some 40 years, wore a look of utter despair as he stared at his shop ruined by muddy water.
Lee said, "It rained heavily overnight, and as the water backed up, it rose above knee height," adding, "Muddy water poured entirely into the shop, soaking all the photo studio supplies."
He sighed, "This is truly the first time experiencing such a flood while running the photo studio," and "The shop has become complete chaos, and I don't know where to even begin."
The situation was no different for 54-year-old Hwang, who runs a singing bar on the first basement level of a nearby building.
As rainwater and muddy water rushed into Hwang's business all at once, the interior fixtures and goods were covered entirely in mud.
Hwang described the situation, saying, "The water rose all the way to the first basement level, leaving no room to even set foot inside," and "Muddy water rushed right in, leaving no time to do anything."
Looking at the damaged business, Hwang vented, "Not a single fixture was salvaged without damage," and "I am at a loss as to how to make a living moving forward."
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, a record cumulative rainfall of 805.7 mm pounded Geoje from midnight on Liberation Day (August 15) through 8:00 AM today.
Very heavy rain ranging from 50 to 100 mm per hour continued to pour in areas like Geoje and Tongyeong on the morning of this day, with heavy downpours persisting across various parts of South Gyeongsang Province.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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