Typhoon Khanun brought several days of rain to Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province, leading to a number of houses being damaged by rain leaking through their roofs, Daily NK has learned.
“Day after day of continuous rain in Hamhung caused serious damage to families living in single-story homes who haven’t kept up with repairs on broken tiles,” a source in South Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Aug. 11, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
North Koreans in single-story homes need to frequently repair their roofs and replace cracked or broken tiles, which tend to be low quality. But given the country’s economic troubles since the outbreak of COVID-19, most homeowners have fallen behind on roof repairs, the source said.
Amid the heavy rainfall in Hamhung, rain has been leaking through cracks in the tiles and pooling on the floors of many of those homes.
People have had to spend night after night mopping the floor with old rags while setting up pails and buckets under leaks and then dumping them out when they fill up.
“There are eight households in my neighborhood watch unit alone that have been dealing with roof leaks not just in a few spots, but all over the house. Families with little children have been sending them to sleep in undamaged houses while they stay up all night mopping the water,” the source said.
“Those who don’t have enough money to repair their ceilings can do little but anxiously wait for the rain to stop. People are moaning about their predicament — along with not having enough to eat, they now have to stay up all night to deal with rain leaking through their roofs.”
North Korean anxiety about Khanun’s northward course was evident in rare late-night media coverage about the typhoon.
While the typhoon dissipated in the vicinity of Pyongyang on Aug. 11, the rain is projected to continue.
Rodong Sinmun reported on the response to damage caused by strong winds, heavy rain and flooding on the front page of its Aug. 11 edition while reiterating the need for a prompt response to the disaster.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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