Heavy rain and powerful wind gusts battered Seoul, flooding roads and toppling trees in a string of incidents across the city. Some roads were closed to all traffic, and an outdoor concert was canceled because of the weather.
The road beneath Jeungsan Bridge in Seodaemun-gu was flooded by torrential rain and has been closed in both directions since about 3:04 p.m. on the 18th, according to the Seoul city traffic information system. Near Yeonsinnae Station in Eunpyeong-gu, vehicles were crawling through a flooded roadway. In parts of Seoul, rainwater was reported to have risen to knee height.
Strong winds also caused damage. In Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, a tree fell toward the road in a gust, disrupting traffic and pedestrians. Alerts were sent out for major expressway sections, including the Yangjae-Anseong stretch of the Gyeongbu Expressway, warning drivers of wet roads and strong winds. Fallen leaves clogged drains, delaying drainage in some areas.
The weather also forced the cancellation of outdoor events. Mint Paper, the organizer of the Grand Mint Festival scheduled for Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, decided the concert could not go ahead as planned, canceled the day's event and said it would issue full refunds to ticket holders.
As reports of flooding and wind damage mounted, the Seoul city government mobilized on-site responses together with district offices. It is draining water in the areas reported and clearing fallen leaves and other debris blocking drains. "The rain appears to be easing for now, but damage reports keep coming in," a Seoul city official said. "We are focusing our response on acting quickly."