When Water Reaches Your Knees, It Feels Like 110kg Against the Door: "Walk by Sliding Your Bare Feet"

[Anchor]

During heavy rainfall, underground spaces become the most dangerous places to be. If water rises even just to an adult's knees, escape becomes virtually impossible. You must evacuate immediately as soon as you see the slightest sign of flooding.

Reporter Dong Eunyeong covers the necessary safety protocols.

[Reporter]

Four years ago, when Typhoon Hinnamnor struck, a river overflowed, flooding the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, and claiming seven lives.

These were residents who had gone to move their cars after hearing news of the flooding.

That same summer, in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, a woman in her 40s and her teenage daughter were unable to escape their semi-basement home and perished.

Over the past 10 years, approximately 20% of deaths and disappearances caused by storm and flood damage have occurred due to the flooding of underground spaces.

[Gong Ha-seong / Professor of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Woosuk University: People try to evacuate through the path where the water is coming in, but that is exactly where the water is rushing in with great force.]

Our team conducted a simulation to experience a flooding situation firsthand.

The water is about 50cm deep, reaching my knees.

No matter how much force I apply, the door will not open.

Even when an adult male pushes it, the door only budges slightly but does not open.

[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 blocking the door from the outside. The door becomes that heavy, making it impossible to open.]

Because it becomes impossible to open a closed door and escape once water reaches knee height, you must evacuate immediately at the first sign of rising water.

When climbing stairs where muddy water is pouring in, you must hold onto the handrails tightly with both hands.

It is better to be barefoot than to wear rubber boots, which make it difficult to lift your feet as water continues to flow in, or dress shoes, which can be slippery.

[Choi Yeon-woo / Operations 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. You should walk as if you are sliding your feet along the floor.]

In underground parking lots and underpasses, it is best to abandon your vehicle once water begins to rise.

Even if the water only reaches half the height of the tires, there is a risk of being trapped inside the vehicle due to water pressure.

If your evacuation is delayed and you are trapped inside the car, you should open or break the windows, and in the case of an SUV, open the trunk to secure an escape route.

Reported by Kim Seung-tae | Video by Kim Jong-tae | Graphics by Jang Chae-woo
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.