Torrential Rain Triggers Deadly Landslides in South Korea and Floods Major Streets Across the Philippines

Torrential rain turns deadly in southern South Korea

Torrential rain has battered southern South Korea, triggering floods, landslides and widespread disruption after weeks of drought.

At least one person died and four others were injured, officials said Monday. The death occurred in Geoje, South Korea, where a landslide struck an apartment building.

In South Gyeongsang Province, Geoje received 851.1 millimeters of rain from midnight Saturday through 1 p.m. Monday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Nearby Tongyeong, South Korea, recorded 704.8 millimeters, while Sacheon, South Korea, received 380.5 millimeters. On Gadeokdo in Busan, South Korea, 441 millimeters fell.

The three-day rainfall total amounted to roughly 90 percent of the region’s average precipitation for the entire June to August period.

Geoje records its heaviest hourly rain

Geoje recorded 124.5 millimeters of rain in a single hour from 1:32 a.m., the highest hourly rainfall ever measured there.

Tongyeong also set a record, with 97.4 millimeters in one hour from 5:11 a.m.

That intensity overwhelmed roads and low-lying areas. Floodwater rose across neighborhoods, and images and videos of submerged streets and damaged homes spread online as residents tried to understand how quickly the weather had changed.

A region that had been dry only days earlier was suddenly under water.

Landslide hits apartment building in Okpo-dong

The National Fire Agency said one person was killed and two others suffered minor injuries after a landslide engulfed the first floor of an apartment building in Okpo-dong, Geoje, South Korea, at around 4:32 a.m.

Debris blocked the entrance to the apartment building as nearly 800 millimeters of rain fell in the area over three days.

In Tongyeong, South Korea, one person was rescued after being buried by a landslide at around 5:05 a.m. Multiple landslides also blocked major roads, including National Route 33 in Goseong, South Korea.

In Ulsan, South Korea, one person was injured in a car accident after trying to avoid a fallen tree.

Residents spent the night under repeated alerts

Residents in the rain-hit areas endured a night of repeated emergency alerts as floodwaters rose in low-lying neighborhoods.

A Geoje resident in his 50s, surnamed Jeong, described the night as the warnings kept arriving.

Jeong: “Overnight, I heard the loud emergency alert three times on my phone. Every time I was about to fall asleep, another alert came, warning of heavy rain and advising evacuation."

Jeong: “It was still raining heavily this morning, and I heard that low-lying areas were flooded and in chaos."

The alerts came through the night. Sleep was interrupted. Outside, water kept rising.

Evacuations, outages and rescues across the region

The heavy rains that have struck southern South Korea since Saturday forced about 390 people to evacuate to safe places and caused power outages at about 3,580 houses, according to the Interior and Safety Ministry.

Another local tally said nearly 160 residents were evacuated as torrential rain and strong winds inundated roads and triggered landslides across southeastern Korea.

In Geoje and Tongyeong alone, authorities had received 1,947 reports related to heavy rain as of 11 a.m. Monday. Firefighters rescued 136 people.

Public transportation was suspended in parts of Geoje because of flooding and landslides. Major local employers, including Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries, allowed employees to stay home rather than commute.

High tide worsens coastal flooding

Flooding in some coastal areas was worsened by high tide.

That added another layer to the emergency. Rainwater moving downhill met elevated coastal water levels, slowing drainage and allowing water to collect in streets, roads and low-lying communities.

By 5 p.m. Monday, Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong remained under heavy rain advisories, even though the main downpour had largely moved out of the region.

Most of the torrential rain had subsided by Monday afternoon, but the damage remained visible in roads, homes and neighborhoods.

Prime minister calls for full emergency support

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called on police, firefighters and other safety authorities to use all available resources to rescue residents and help evacuees.

Han Seong-sook: “Please make every effort to provide emergency support so that evacuees face no inconvenience, including by operating temporary shelters."

The prime minister also instructed officials to maintain emergency preparedness and ensure the safety of rescue workers at disaster sites.

From drought to record rain

The deluge marked a dramatic reversal for a region that had been struggling with severe drought only days earlier.

From July 1 through Saturday, South Gyeongsang Province received only 141.8 millimeters of rain, or 19 percent of the average for the period.

The dry spell affected about 5,700 households and roughly 2,100 hectares of farmland, including fields where crops had withered.

Then the rain arrived in a rush. Dry ground, steep terrain and intense rainfall created conditions for landslides, road flooding and sudden runoff.

Warm, moist air helped intensify the rainfall

Weather authorities attributed the sudden downpour to several atmospheric factors.

The remnants of Typhoon Dolphin moved northeastward, leaving behind a low-pressure system that helped draw large amounts of moisture toward Korea. As the system approached, a narrow corridor formed between it and a high-pressure system over northeastern Korea, strengthening southerly winds flowing into the country.

Those winds had already gathered abundant moisture after passing over waters off the southern coast, where sea surface temperatures were around 27 to 28 degrees Celsius.

When the warm, moist air reached mountainous terrain along the southern coast and over Jeju Island, South Korea, it was forced upward. That lifting further intensified rainfall and contributed to record precipitation in some areas, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

Rain bands move out, but advisories remain

As of 1:50 p.m. Monday, most rain bands had moved out of South Korea, with only intermittent rain expected in South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju.

The most intense phase had passed, but heavy rain advisories remained in several affected areas later Monday.

The danger did not end immediately when the rain weakened. Landslide-prone slopes, damaged roads and flooded lowlands still required caution.

Monsoon rains flood metropolitan Manila

In the Philippines, heavy monsoon rains flooded key streets and snarled traffic early Monday across metropolitan Manila, Philippines, and a dozen outlying provinces.

The flooding forced the government to suspend government work and cancel classes at all levels starting at noon. Schools were asked to shift to online learning.

The rain added to weeks of disruption across the country’s northern regions.

About three weeks of intermittent monsoon rains, along with a storm that lashed the main northern island region of Luzon two weeks earlier, left at least 23 people dead, mostly due to landslides and floods, according to the Office of Civil Defense.

Millions affected in northern Philippines

The Office of Civil Defense said the recent rains and storm affected 5 million people.

Nearly 25,000 people remained in government emergency shelters on Monday in several northern provinces.

Among the dead were 10 people, including children, whose houses were buried by an August 9 landslide in the northern mountain resort city of Baguio, Philippines.

Officials said three others were dug out alive with injuries by rescuers after mud, rocks and debris collapsed from a mountainside as people slept.

Two countries face landslides, floods and saturated ground

The flooding in South Korea and the Philippines came from different weather setups, but both produced fast-moving hazards: landslides, flooded roads, evacuations and disruption to daily life.

In South Korea, record rainfall followed drought and struck steep coastal terrain. In the Philippines, weeks of monsoon rain left communities saturated and emergency shelters occupied.