Severe flash flooding and torrential monsoon rains are currently battering central South Korea. Over Wednesday and Thursday morning, cumulative rainfall surpassed 220 millimetres in the central cities of Daejeon and Cheongju. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, at least one person is missing after being swept away by a rapid current in Yeongju.
Firefighters have rescued multiple residents trapped inside flooded homes and submerged warehouses. Over 420 residents have been displaced. This includes the urgent evacuation of 82 people in Boeun County over reservoir overflow fears, and the relocation of nursing home residents in Cheongju after a retaining wall collapsed.
Authorities have reported over 200 cases of facility damage, including flooded roads, collapsed embankments, and uprooted trees. In Sejong, flooded roads disrupted morning commutes and forced public transport detours.
Emergency search and rescue teams have launched all-out operations, while the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has issued landslide and severe flood advisories across the affected central regions. Up to 200 millimetres of additional rainfall is expected.
