Heavy rain triggered multiple emergency disaster text messages for residents of Geoje city in South Korea's South Gyeongsang Province this week.
The extreme weather event underscores the increasing volatility of rainfall patterns on the southern coast, where concentrated cloud bands can cause sudden, disaster-level flooding.
Geoje recorded an hourly rainfall of 116.8 mm at 3 a.m. [1]. This surge was part of a larger weather system that brought a total of 805 mm of rain to the city over two days [2]. The intensity of the storm prompted authorities to issue several emergency alerts to warn the public of potential danger.
Other areas in the region also experienced significant precipitation. In Ilun-myeon, rainfall reached 25 mm in just 15 minutes around 1 a.m. [3]. The storm's impact extended across the southern coast, affecting multiple municipalities.
At 3:42 a.m., Busan Gadeokdo recorded hourly rainfall of 30 mm [4]. Similarly, Tongyeong recorded 30 mm of rain per hour at 5:32 a.m. [5].
An anchor for YTN News said that emergency disaster text messages were sent several times overnight as rain clouds concentrated on the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province. Reporter Jang A-young said the 116.8 mm hourly record occurred at 3 a.m. [1].
“Geoje recorded an hourly rainfall of 116.8 mm at 3 a.m.”
The occurrence of 'disaster-level' rainfall—specifically the extreme hourly rate in Geoje—demonstrates the high risk of flash flooding in South Korea's coastal regions. When rainfall exceeds 100 mm per hour, urban drainage systems are typically overwhelmed, necessitating the rapid-response emergency alert system to prevent casualties.
