More than 70 officials from 22 dong community centers and the Gangnam Fire Department will gather near Tancheon's Sewol 2 Bridge on May 12 for live equipment drills covering submersible pumps, engine-driven water pumps and portable flood barriers.
Gangnam-gu will hold its "2026 Flood and Storm Disaster Preparedness Training" on May 12, starting at 2 p.m. near Sewol 2 Bridge along Tancheon, ahead of the summer season of heavy rain and typhoons, the district announced.
The exercise is designed to strengthen the district's flood response system and minimize property damage from inundation. Officials said hands-on practice is essential because submersible pumps, water pumps and flood barriers must be deployable immediately when a real emergency strikes.
The district cited frequent staff rotations at dong community centers as a key reason for the repeated drills, noting that equipment is useless if personnel on duty cannot operate it correctly at the scene.
About 70 participants will take part, including staff from the district's water management division, flood-response officials from all 22 dong community centers, and representatives from the Gangnam Fire Department and other related agencies. A classroom session will cover this year's weather outlook, the district's emergency operations plan, key flood safety priorities and step-by-step response procedures.
Participants will then move to the Sewol 2 Bridge area for field exercises. They will practice operating submersible pumps and engine-driven water pumps, and run installation drills for both wheeled and portable temporary flood barriers. The training will cover safety protocols for each piece of equipment, which equipment to deploy first, and how to set it up correctly under flooding conditions.
The district currently holds 1,124 pieces of flood-response equipment, including submersible pumps and engine-driven water pumps. It also runs a free pump loan service for residents in flood-prone areas, allowing them to borrow submersible pumps through their local dong community center to help with initial response during heavy downpours.
Temporary flood barriers have also been pre-positioned at each dong to protect low-lying areas. The barriers block rainwater from entering underground parking lots, homes and shops during river overflows or road flooding.
"Advance preparation and early response are everything when it comes to flood and storm disasters, so we are intensifying hands-on training to ensure our staff can act immediately at the scene," Gangnam-gu district mayor Jo Seong-myeong said. "We will continue to do our utmost to protect the lives and property of our residents through a thorough, proactive response system."
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