During the early morning downpour, officials carried residents with limited mobility on their backs and persuaded others reluctant to leave their homes to evacuate.
Throughout July, during the monsoon season, safety partners proactively evacuated residents from hazardous areas in South Chungcheong Province, contributing to the prevention of casualties.
The province announced on July 29 that the 'Chungnam Safe Zone,' a village-based evacuation and protection system, played a crucial role in sharing real-time information and facilitating preemptive evacuations during the recent heavy rain, serving as a local safety net for residents.
Launched in July 2024, the Chungnam Safe Zone is designed to protect vulnerable populations during disasters through a village-centered evacuation system.
The province established evacuation plans for 5,905 villages based on the principle of 'one village, one evacuation site, one training.'
For vulnerable groups, including the elderly and disabled who may struggle to evacuate independently, designated 'safety partners' were assigned to provide assistance during emergencies.
During this monsoon season, the Chungnam Safe Zone was activated as soon as weather warnings were issued. Local governments, police, fire departments, village leaders, and autonomous disaster response teams shared real-time updates and initiated preemptive evacuations for residents in danger.
Safety partners, familiar with local conditions, visited residents' homes to persuade them to evacuate and assisted those with mobility issues in reaching safe locations.
In Gongju City, local staff, police, and disaster response teams collaborated to evacuate 170 people from 124 households in hazardous areas.
For residents refusing to evacuate, police worked alongside officials to explain the risks and continued to persuade them.
In Gyeryong-myeon, Mayor Seo Eun-won, along with officials including Go Dae-hee and Lee Jeong-hee, actively led evacuations on-site.
In Boryeong City, official Kim Gwang-jung assessed the risk of landslides and successfully evacuated three residents from two households.
In Yesan County, officials Kim Seon-hyeok and village leader Nam Yeong-ok supported evacuations, applying the 'one village, one evacuation training' conducted earlier to real disaster response.
In Nonsan City, during the early hours, village leader Shin Sang-cheol and official Kim Seon-kyu assisted in evacuating three residents from two households.
Village leader Kang Hyun-bok and village secretary Bang Jun-cheol also visited homes to help 14 residents from seven households reach safety.
In Cheonan City, Han Min-seop and Kim Bong-ki persuaded residents in danger of mudslides to evacuate.
In Asan City, officials Park Ha-seop, Shin Dong-nam, Lee Seung-min, and Kim Kwan-woo evacuated residents amid the heavy rain, with Kim Kwan-woo carrying two residents with limited mobility to safety.
Park Kyung-ho, head of the industrial development team in Yeongin-myeon, successfully persuaded a resident who was hesitant to evacuate.
At the Inju Police Station, Officer Choi Jong-soo and Officer Park Sang-yoon equipped with life jackets responded to rescue residents trapped in flooded homes.
In Taean County, village leader Jeon Gwang-rim and official Park Ho-jun assessed landslide risks and evacuated elderly residents from vulnerable areas to their children's homes before sunset.
Dangjin City also reduced flood damage through public-private cooperation, including support from autonomous disaster response teams with large pumps, volunteer rescue boats, and life jackets.
The province evaluated that the real-time information sharing through the Chungnam Safe Zone and the swift on-site responses from safety partners played a significant role in preventing casualties during the recent heavy rain.
Shin Dong-heon, head of the Chungnam Provincial Safety Office, stated, “The first responders in disaster situations are the safety partners who know the community best. We will strengthen the proactive evacuation system centered around the Chungnam Safe Zone to ensure that not a single life is lost.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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