526 Residents Displaced in Seongdong-myeon, Nonsan-si
Emergency Restoration Underway Following Nonsan Stream Embankment Collapse
Seongdong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do – Emergency restoration work is currently in progress on the Nonsan Stream embankment, which collapsed due to four days of heavy rain. This unfortunate incident has resulted in the displacement of 526 residents in the affected area.
The collapse of the embankments at Nonsancheon and Geumgang has caused significant damage to houses and farmland. As a result, local residents are facing immense difficulties, especially those who rely on farming for their livelihoods. They had hoped to harvest their crops at the end of this month, but their plans have been derailed by this calamity. Their worries are further amplified by the forecasts of additional heavy rainfall in the coming days.
One resident, Mr. Kim Dae-soo (38), expressed frustration, stating, “I repeatedly lodged complaints regarding the urgent need to open the sluice gates connecting the Geumgang River to the Nonsancheon Stream. However, despite assurances from the Korea Rural Community Corporation, the gates remained closed, leading to the collapse of the embankment. Now, all our farming efforts have been ruined, and we are left unsure about how to survive.”
In response to the crisis, authorities have designated Wonbong Elementary School in Wonbong-ri, Seongdong-myeon, as an evacuation center. This facility, along with Seongdong Elementary School, is now providing shelter to the 526 displaced victims, who belong to 386 households. A total of 42 shelters have been set up to accommodate the affected residents.
According to Mr. Kim, who resides near the collapsed dam, the water level had risen perilously high even before the embankment collapsed. He had urgently appealed to open the floodgates, but his pleas went unanswered. He believes that the continuous confinement of water in a limited space weakened the ground around the dam, ultimately leading to its failure.
The devastating flooding resulting from the embankment collapse has submerged houses, farmland, and agricultural facilities in the affected area. Mr. Kim shared his own experience, stating, “I had cultivated lettuce, pumpkins, and peppers, but now my house and crops have been completely flooded.” He estimates that the damage to his crops alone amounts to 200 million won, without factoring in the costs of repairing his house.
In the midst of the catastrophe, victims gathered at Seongdong Elementary School auditorium to discuss the extent of the damage caused by the heavy rain. Most victims briefly left the shelter to assess the situation at their homes or farms when the rain subsided. Understanding the imminent threat of further rainfall, many decided to return to the shelter in the afternoon.
Despite the passage of time, the flooded Nonsancheon area remains unrecognizable, making it difficult to locate the original positions of houses and other structures. Moreover, the water that inundated the farmland still shows no signs of receding.
An elderly resident, Mr. Kim, in his 90s, expressed deep dismay upon learning about the dam collapse. He remarked, “The situation at the site is even worse than what I initially imagined. The severity of the dam collapse calls into question the measures taken to prevent such incidents.”
Meanwhile, in Ugon-ri, Seongdong-myeon, the embankment of the Geumgang River also suffered a collapse. Restoration work is currently underway on both embankments, with eight excavators and 22 dump trucks deployed as part of the emergency response efforts.
The heavy rain has caused extensive damage to Nonsan, with 1,400 farms, encompassing 577.74 hectares of rice fields, fields, and houses, suffering significant losses. In addition, 603 locations, including 379 public facilities and 224 private facilities, have experienced flooding. From the 13th to the 17th, Nonsan received 394.8 mm of rainfall, resulting in flood warnings for Nonsan Bridge and Hwangsan Bridge as the water level of the Geum River continues to rise.
Anxiety prevails among the residents as the Korea Meteorological Administration predicts further heavy rainfall in the coming days. The already rain-soaked areas of Nonsan and Cheongyang are expected to face very heavy rain, with rates of approximately 80mm per hour. Additionally, there is a possibility of even more intense downpours, upwards of 250mm, exacerbating the situation.
526 residents were displaced
Seongdong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
Emergency restoration work On the 17th, restoration work is underway on the Nonsan Stream embankment in Seongdong-myeon, Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do, which collapsed due to heavy rain that lasted for four days. Nonsan | Reporter Cho Tae-hyung phototom@kyunghyang.com
Partial collapse of Nonsancheon and Geumgang embankments
Damage to houses and farmland
Residents “We intend to harvest at the end of this month”
Worry is compounded by forecasts of additional heavy rain
“I filed several complaints about the need to open the sluice gates (which connect from the Geumgang River to the Nonsancheon Stream), but in the end it was not opened and the embankment collapsed. The water in the fields ruined all the farming, so I don’t know how to live.” (Kim Dae-soo, 38)
On the morning of the 17th, in the auditorium of Wonbong Elementary School in Wonbong-ri, Seongdong-myeon, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. It is a shelter designated by the authorities for residents after part of the bank of the nonsan stream collapsed the day before. After the embankment collapsed, 526 victims (386 households) were moved to 42 shelters including this school and Seongdong Elementary School.
Mr. Kim, who lives near the collapsed dam, said, “The water level rose too high before the dam collapsed the previous morning, so I filed several complaints with the Korea Rural Community Corporation, saying, ‘It we need to open the floodgates’ and even had a reply saying ‘we will deal with it’, but the floodgates were not open.” he said. He said, “As the water continues to be confined in a confined space, the water pressure weakens the ground around the dam, and the dam appears to have burst.”
As the water flowed into the village after the embankment collapsed, houses such as houses, farmland, and agricultural facilities were under water. Mr. said Kim, “I’ve been growing lettuce, pumpkins, and peppers, but when the dam collapsed, the house and crops were all flooded.” Excluding housing repair costs, he estimated that the crop damage alone would reach 200 million won.
In the Seongdong Elementary School auditorium, about 10 victims spoke about the heavy rain damage with serious expressions. Most of the victims left the shelter for a while to check the situation at home or on farm land when the rain stopped. An employee dispatched from the Seongdong-myeon office said, “Since there is news that it will rain again from tonight, the victims decided to return to the shelter in the afternoon.”
In the flooded Nonsancheon area, it was difficult to find out where the house was originally located. The water that flowed into the farm land had still not been drained that day.
Mr. said Kim (90s), “I felt my heart sink when I heard the news that the dam had collapsed.” “The site’s situation is more serious than I thought. It is questionable how badly the dam collapsed.”
At Nonsan, the embankment of the Geumgang River in Ugon-ri, Seongdong-myeon also collapsed. On this day, restoration work was in full swing on both embankments. Authorities are carrying out emergency restoration work on both embankments by deploying 8 excavators and 22 dump trucks.
Crops grown in 577.74 hectares of rice fields, fields, and houses of 1,400 farms in Nonsan alone were damaged by this heavy rain. 603 places, including 379 public facilities and 224 private facilities, also suffered from flooding. In the Nonsan area, it rained 394.8 mm from the 13th to the 17th. Flood warnings have been issued for Nonsan Bridge and Hwangsan Bridge as the water level of the Geum River rises.
Residents are trembling with anxiety. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that, as the rain cloud belt moved northeast, between the afternoon of the 17th and the 19th, there would be very heavy rain of around 80mm per hour, focused on areas that had already received a lot of rain, such as Nonsan and Cheongyang, and additional water bombs of up to 250mm or more would be poured.
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