 An excavator removes snow from a road in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday. The heaviest snowfall in a century hit Gangneung and other cities in the eastern part of the province between Friday and Saturday, with hundreds of people stranded on roads and causing property damage. / Korea Times photo by Kim Joo-young |
By Lee Hyo-sik
A record-high snowfall fell in Gangneung and other cities in eastern Gangwon Province Friday and Saturday, stranding hundreds of drivers on the roads, damaging houses and other structures and inconveniencing many.
Along with civil servants and citizens, military personnel have been mobilized to clear away more than one-meter of snow to allow for the safe passage of vehicles and prevent damage to buildings.
But up to another 50 centimeters of snow is forecast for the region on Monday, putting municipal authorities on high alert to deal with further traffic chaos and property damage.
According to the Gangwon Regional Meteorological Administration, Gangneung received 77.7 centimeters of snow Friday, the heaviest single-day snowfall since the weather agency began compiling data in 1911. The two-day snowfall reached 110 centimeters in Samcheok, 100 centimeters in Donghae, 56 centimeters in Daegwallyeong and 43 centimeters in Sokcho.
“In general, the continental cold front becomes weak in February, setting up a low pressure system south of the Korean Peninsula. This low pressure system creates a northeastern wind and makes the cold air descend to the sea surface absorbing moisture along the east coast,” a weather agency official said.
He then said a snow cloud forms over Gangwon Province and dumps heavy snow in the region, adding a heavy snowfall (of over 20 centimeters) usually falls in either February or March.
Facing the current record-breaking snowfall, Gangneung and other municipalities in the province mobilized all public workers and snowplowing equipment to clear away the snow. But except for major motorways, all roads continue to remain off-limits to buses and other vehicles.
Taxis and city buses have given up operating, as citizens struggle to get their snow-covered cars out of parking lots. Most train and intercity bus services have been canceled, keeping remote rural areas isolated.
In particular, some sections of a highway linking Seoul to Gangneung are off-limits, while a major road connecting several cities in the region was closed for 18 hours, stranding some 250 vehicles and 450 passengers under sub-zero temperatures.
Following President Lee Myung-bak’s order, the military dispatched soldiers to deliver emergency food, including drinking water, milk and snacks, to the isolated drivers. All stranded passengers were evacuated to community centers in nearby villages or service areas along the road.
Additionally, hundreds of houses, livestock sheds and agricultural greenhouses collapsed under the heavy snow. According to the Gangwon Provincial Government, the damage to farming facilities is estimated at nearly 4 billion won. The amount will likely increase sharply as new reports of further damage are made in the coming days.
Gangwon Province is bracing for another heavy snowfall Monday, as the weather agency forecast up to 50 centimeters of snow for the region, asking residents to refrain from operating vehicles and to shovel the snow from the roads.
