Suwon Struggles Under Autumn Downpours of Around 50mm, Urban Roads Turn Into 'Seas of Water'

Urban roads across Suwon turned into seas of water due to autumn rain. Although concentrated heavy rainfall was forecast during the fall season when fallen leaves accumulate, flooding occurred on some roads, leading to traffic controls on vehicles.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration and fire authorities on the 18th, concentrated heavy rainfall fell in the southern Gyeonggi region that day, causing flooding on some roads in Suwon.

As of 8 p.m. that day, cumulative rainfall in major areas of southern Gyeonggi Province was recorded at 57mm in Hwaseong, 52.5mm in Yongin, and 47.5mm in Gunpo. While precise rainfall measurements for Suwon were not confirmed, with around 50mm of rain falling in adjacent areas, flooding damage continued in downtown Suwon.

Traffic in some lanes of the Hwasan Underground Road in Suwon was controlled from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. that day. At Mangpo Station Intersection, some lanes were controlled due to flooding from 4:20 p.m. to 5 p.m., after which traffic resumed following drainage operations.

Videos and photos showing the flooding situation in downtown Suwon were posted successively on social media.

The released videos showed roads filled with rainwater as vehicles moved through the water. Each time a vehicle passed, strong water spray was created, and in some areas, water rose to the point where the boundary between the road and sidewalk was difficult to distinguish.

In some places, rainwater rose all the way to the front of bus stops. As roads near the stops were submerged in muddy water, inconvenience occurred for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Citizens who saw the videos expressed surprise at the flooding situation. One citizen said, "I thought I was sailing a boat," and another said, "I almost became a flooded car," sharing their experience of the situation at the time.

In particular, reactions expressing this as unprecedented came from among citizens who had lived in Suwon for long periods.

One citizen who has lived in Suwon for 20 years wrote, "I came in 2006 and have been here for 20 years, and I'm seeing a flood for the first time," adding, "What kind of management wasn't being done that there's a flood in Suwon?"

Another citizen said, "I've lived here for 16 years and I've never seen anything like this. It seems the sewer is blocked somewhere," and responses also included, "I've lived in Yeongdeung for 30 years and I've never seen this."

Some citizens pointed to fallen leaves accumulated in drainage inlets as the cause of flooding. One citizen said, "There are lots of fallen leaves in the drainage outlets," and another said, "It seems the drainage was blocked."

There were also opinions comparing past flooding experiences.

One citizen said, "In Seodun-dong, Pyeong-dong, Seryeu-dong, and Mangpo-dong, there are times when floods occur when heavy rain pours down occasionally," but argued, "If a flood occurs from rain like today, there must be something different."

Another citizen also said, "It gets somewhat blocked during the rainy season there, but it burst in just one day today without the rainy season being an issue," and there were also reactions linking the flooding to regional characteristics or rainfall conditions, such as, "Mangpo is a place where floods often occur."

During autumn, fallen leaves from street trees can block the inlets of drainage systems, reducing drainage function. However, it has not been confirmed whether this flooding was caused by fallen leaves blocking drainage outlets or whether the concentrated rainfall in a short period exceeded the processing capacity of the drainage facility.

A Suwon city official said, "We have completed the measures and are identifying the exact cause."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province activated the enhanced initial response stage of the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from 10 a.m. that day and deployed 913 officials from the province and 31 cities and counties for emergency response.

Additionally, as of 5 p.m., a total of 772 locations were controlled, including 752 riverside walking paths, 2 riverbed parking lots, 1 riverbed road, 11 world-class bridges, and 6 other locations within the province.

A provincial official said, "We will continue to monitor weather conditions and do our best to prevent casualties through preemptive safety measures for risk areas."