Despite diminishing in strength prior to making landfall in North Korea, Typhoon Soulik’s heavy rain and winds caused significant flooding in North Korea’s eastern region, report local sources.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported heavy rain in the cities of Wonsan (327 mm) and Munchon (601 mm).
“The authorities told us to expect a powerful storm for two days and to put all of our efforts into emergency measures. The rain just kept falling in sheets here and many of the buildings and homes along Wonsan’s eastern coast were flooded,” a source in Kangwon Province told Daily NK on August 27.
“In the early morning hours of August 23, the roads in Kalma-dong were completely submerged and impassable. A ship anchored in Wonsan Port was also damaged. But despite the damage to infrastructure, there haven’t been reports of any injuries or fatalities, luckily.”
However, Kalma-dong is a major market hub, home to Wonsan’s largest general market. Some of its vendors have reported property and structural damage to their stalls. The market was closed through August 24 during the storm and repair work began on August 26. Fortunately, the new roof and structural upgrade the facilities received in 2015 likely proved helpful in mitigating further damage.
A separate source in Kangwon Province said that as regional authorities continue to collect information and data about property damage, the number of affected is likely to rise, particularly in Munchon City, where the rainfall was highest. Furthermore, the additional rain in the forecast for Kangwon Province this week is anticipated to exacerbate conditions on the ground.
“The Kangwon Province People’s Committee is prioritizing areas with the most severe flooding and has already begun repair work there. Those at the worksites are reporting that a full recovery is going to take a long time,” he said.
