Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young Emphasizes Thorough Preparation for Typhoon Lingling

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young emphasized regarding Typhoon Lingling: "Prepare thoroughly to the point that it feels like an excessive response."

Mayor Yeom presided over an 'Emergency Situation Inspection and Response Meeting regarding Typhoon Lingling's Northward Movement' at the City Hall Disaster Situation Room on the morning of the 6th. Mayor Yeom instructed: "Before this meeting, I inspected large construction sites and rivers in various locations. It doesn't appear that preparations have been made perfectly yet. Inspect more thoroughly and minimize damage."

Typhoon 'Lingling,' accompanied by strong winds, was moving northward at a speed of 20~30 km/h northwest of Okinawa, Japan as of 7 a.m. on the 6th. It is a powerful typhoon with maximum wind speeds near the center reaching 47 m/s. It is expected to pass through the Seoul metropolitan area on the 7th.

The city is operating its emergency system. All civil servants have entered the emergency system. On the 5th, inspections were conducted of construction site facilities (tower cranes, etc.), habitual flooding areas, and deteriorated signage—places vulnerable to disasters. The operational status of disaster prevention facilities including pumping stations for rainwater, water gates, rivers, and sewage pipelines was also examined. Canopies in front of crosswalks were folded up or secured. On the 6th, vulnerable flood areas, temporary construction site facilities, steep slopes, deteriorated retaining walls, street trees, and fortifications and structures within cultural heritage protection zones were urgently inspected.

In particular, the city plans to focus on minimizing secondary damage by thoroughly managing screening fences, building signage, and street trees at redevelopment and reconstruction project sites. A system to enable immediate restoration in case of damage is being planned.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young urged: "There are many places with vulnerable residential conditions such as semi-basement rooms. Inspect all residences in low-income residential areas and prepare thoroughly for damage." He also instructed: "Inspect all protected trees and install bracing and support stakes for trees vulnerable to wind."

The city requested that citizens refrain from strolling along riverbanks, install flooding prevention facilities, remove covers from rainwater drains, and avoid going out. The city urged residents to carefully inspect windows of high-rise buildings and the condition of deteriorated areas, and to clear away signage and external structures or tie them down securely.