가뭄 막느라 소방차 동원된 경남…광복절 연휴 ‘단비’ 내린다

Severe drought continues to plague Gyeongnam, with the country's national fire department mobilizing twice now to provide emergency water support. Of the 18 cities and counties in the region, nine now find themselves in the lowest drought category, with six elevated to the most critical "serious" level. As the countrywide holiday of Independence Day approaches, forecasts predict heavy rain in Gyeongnam from the 15th to the 17th, potentially breaking the ongoing drought that has persisted since mid-June.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's water and drought information system, rainfall in Gyeongnam during July was only 73.4mm, which is 23% of the long-term average. As of the 13th, water levels in the 569 agricultural reservoirs across the province had dropped to just 4.5mm, or 3.4% of the long-term average. In response, reservoir water levels in 18 of Gyeongnam's cities and counties have fallen below 30%, with nine of them in the serious category.

Over 2,400 acres of crops such as rice, corn, peppers, and apples have suffered damage due to drought and heat. The fire department has mobilized 59 fire trucks from across the country, along with 13 military water trucks, to supply water to the drought-stricken areas. Currently, 352 water trucks are deployed throughout Gyeongnam.

The fire department plans to extend water truck support to the five cities and counties in serious drought conditions for the next 14 to 16 days. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicts that light to moderate rain will fall across Gyeongnam on the 14th and 15th, with some areas potentially receiving over 100mm of rain, including the eastern mountain range and coastal areas.

However, Gyeongnam officials estimate that the rainfall will not be enough to alleviate the severe drought, but they still expect it to provide significant relief. Meanwhile, the province of Jeollanam-do asked citizens to practice water conservation during the upcoming holiday as the water level of Dongbuldam reservoir, a major water source for the city, dropped to 48.94% due to the drought.