Severe rain overnight has prompted flood warnings in the Gangseo, Eunpyeong, and Mapo districts of Seoul. Rising water levels in the Jungnangcheon River have led to the closure of several roads and river access points, including the Dongbu Expressway.
As of 7:30 a.m. on July 18, the city reported flood warnings in Gangseo, Eunpyeong, and Mapo. Flood advisories are also in effect for Mapo and Yangcheon.
Flood warnings are issued when rainfall exceeds 50 mm per hour or accumulates to more than 90 mm over three hours. Flood advisories are issued when rainfall is expected to exceed 55 mm per hour or 20 mm within 15 minutes.
Heavy rain overnight caused rapid increases in river levels. The Han River Flood Control Center issued a flood alert at 4:50 a.m. for the Mokgamcheon River at the Neobudaegyo Bridge, advising residents in low-lying areas to prepare for potential flooding.
The Korea Forest Service has raised the landslide alert level to 'caution' across the metropolitan area, while Eunpyeong District issued a landslide warning and Dobong District issued a preliminary landslide alert. Mapo District has restricted access to forested areas and urged residents to be vigilant for signs of landslides.
Road closures followed as well. At 5:37 a.m., the Dongbu Expressway was fully closed in both directions between the Surak Underpass and Seongsu Junction due to rising water levels in the Jungnangcheon River. Additionally, a vehicle fire inside the Yongma Tunnel in Jungnang District at 6:53 a.m. further blocked traffic.
As of now, a total of 120 reports of damage related to the rain have been received. The majority of these, 89, were requests for drainage assistance, followed by 27 for safety measures on facilities and 4 for fallen trees.
As of 7:30 a.m., access to 29 rivers in the city has been restricted. Vehicle traffic is limited on four roads, including the area under the Jeungsan Bridge and the Hangju Bridge, as well as the Dongbu Expressway and Garam-gil. Twenty rainwater pumping stations are partially operational.
Since the heavy rain warning was issued at 3:40 a.m., the Seoul Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has activated its second stage of emergency response. This has mobilized 6,642 city and district officials to monitor vulnerable areas such as rivers, low-lying regions, and drainage systems, as well as to enhance monitoring of at-risk individuals.
The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heavy rain advisory for all of Seoul at 1 a.m. and upgraded it to a warning focused on the southwestern and northwestern areas at 3:40 a.m. The heavy rain warning was lifted at 7:30 a.m. Forecasts indicate that Seoul could receive between 100 to 200 mm of rain over three days, with some areas potentially exceeding 300 mm.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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