Heavy Rains Cause Damage Across South Korea's Jeonnam and Gwangju Regions

South Korea's Jeonnam and Gwangju regions are grappling with widespread damage following intense rainfall, with some areas experiencing up to 40 millimeters of rain per hour. By 2:30 PM on August 28th, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Fire Department had received 19 reports of flood damage.

In the Gwangju area, incidents included four reports of fallen trees, five cases of flooded roads, and five instances of overflowing manholes, with the first report coming from Geumho-dong in Seo-gu at 1:16 PM. In the Jeonnam region, damage reports included a fallen tree in Jinwol-myeon, Gwangyang at 7:14 AM, a flooded drainage ditch in Songgwang-myeon, Suncheon at 9:55 AM, and a flooded road in Madong, Gwangyang at 10:36 AM.

As of 2:00 PM, cumulative rainfall totals reached 116.4 mm in Gwangyang, 79.7 mm in Suncheon, and 54.7 mm in Gwangju. The highest hourly rainfall was recorded at 38.9 mm in Gwangju. Flood advisories are currently active for Gwangju, Gwangyang, Suncheon, and Damyang.

In response to the heavy rains, access to hiking trails in Mudeungsan National Park has been completely closed since 1:20 PM. Parts of the eastern region of Mudeungsan and Wolchulsan in Yeongam are also experiencing partial trail closures. Ferry services have also been disrupted, with five routes suspended out of 51 in Jeonnam, including those to Geomun-do from Yeosu and Hongdo from Mokpo.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts heavy rain of 30-80 mm along the southern coast of Jeonnam and 10-70 mm in other areas, warning of localized downpours exceeding 50 mm per hour and advising caution for facility management and safety.

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Some areas will experience heavy and intense rain exceeding 50 millimeters per hour.