Preventing a 'Tragedy from 4 Years Ago': New Urban Flood Forecasting System Launches

[Anchor]

Four years ago, a sudden downpour led to the tragic deaths of three family members in a semi-basement home in Sillim-dong, Seoul. Following that incident, a new urban flood forecasting system officially began operations today (June 19).

Climate and Environment Correspondent Jang Se-man reports on what will change.

[Reporter]

On August 8, 2022, Seoul was hit by a record-breaking downpour, with rainfall reaching up to 141 millimeters per hour.

A woman in her 40s, her sister, and her young daughter, who lived in a semi-basement home in Sillim-dong, were unable to escape the rising floodwaters and lost their lives.

While a flood forecasting system existed at the time, it focused primarily on river levee overflows, making it ineffective for predicting flooding in urban residential areas.

Since then, the Urban Flood Prevention Act was enacted, and the government has established an urban flood forecasting system, which went into operation for the first time today.

We simulated the situation in Sillim-dong at the time of the flooding using this new system.

Around 6:00 a.m. on that day, rainfall and Han River water level data showed no significant abnormalities. However, as the rain intensified, a flood advisory was issued for the area before 1:00 p.m.

The fatal accident occurred around 8:30 p.m., meaning the risk of flooding could have been identified seven hours in advance.

[Cha Jun-ho / Researcher, Han River Flood Control Office: Around 12:50 p.m., the situation would have allowed for the issuance of a flood advisory. It appears we could have provided warnings at least several hours in advance.]

To predict urban flooding, it is crucial to understand underground conditions, such as clogged sewage pipes. Now, it has become possible to monitor the status inside these pipes.

This is because nearly 400 sewage water level sensors installed across six districts, including Seocho, Gangnam, and Gwanak in Seoul, have been integrated into the system.

Sewage water levels are transmitted to a real-time control center, and text message alerts are sent to residents in the affected areas when flood advisories or warnings are issued.

[Kim Tae-hyung / Researcher, Han River Flood Control Office: We are also installing additional sensors to monitor conditions such as rain gutter levels and potential blockages.]

The government plans to analyze the results from the six districts in Seoul and establish a plan to expand the system nationwide by the end of the year.

Reported by Jang Se-man | Video by Lee Byung-ju | Video Editing by Kim Yoon-sung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.