Heavy Rain Hits Chungcheong and Jeonbuk Regions, Landslide Alerts Raised; Tonight Is Critical

[Anchor]

The monsoon season has begun in earnest. Heavy rainfall in the Chungcheong and Jeonbuk regions has caused damage, including fallen trees and flooded roads. Tonight, July 8, and early tomorrow morning are expected to be the most critical period, with more heavy rain forecasted.

Reporter Yun Nara has the story.

[Reporter]

With heavy rain warnings in effect for North and South Chungcheong provinces and North Jeolla Province, some areas are experiencing downpours of over 50mm per hour, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

As of 2:00 p.m., 124.5mm of rain had fallen in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, and 89mm in Gongju. In North Jeolla Province, 54.5mm of rain was concentrated in Jeongeup and 51mm in Gunsan.

As heavy rain poured down from the morning, damage was reported throughout the region, including a tree falling onto a road in Okcheon, North Chungcheong Province, and road flooding in Cheongju.

Accidents also occurred in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, and Wanju, North Jeolla Province, where vehicles slipped on rain-slicked roads, resulting in injuries to drivers.

The Korea Forest Service has raised the landslide crisis alert to the "caution" level for six cities and provinces, including Daejeon, Sejong, North and South Chungcheong provinces, North Jeolla Province, and Gangwon Province.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety also activated the first stage of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters this afternoon.

Authorities have decided to strengthen monitoring of high-risk areas such as landslide-prone zones, steep slopes, coastal areas, riverbanks, campsites, and underpasses, and to implement access controls if dangerous situations arise.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung urged the public to "frequently check weather information and disaster alerts, and to take extra precautions for safety by refraining from approaching dangerous areas such as coastal zones and riverbanks."

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts that more than 50mm of rain per hour will pour down, mainly in the Chungcheong and Jeonbuk regions, from tonight through early tomorrow morning.

When a large amount of rain falls in a short period, river water levels can rise suddenly and the risk of landslides increases significantly, requiring extra caution.

(Video Editing: Jung Yong-hwa)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.