Gangneung: The water storage rate at drought-stricken Gangneung's main water supply reservoir rose Saturday for the first time in 52 days following heavy rain overnight, weather officials said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the storage rate at the Obong Reservoir, which supplies 87 percent of residential water to Gangneung, about 210 kilometers east of Seoul, stood at 13.9 percent at 4 p.m., up from 11.5 percent marked the previous day. This marks the first increase since July 23, though officials caution that the drought remains far from over. A state of national disaster was declared for the east coast city on August 30.
The increase in water levels is attributed to heavy overnight rain in Gangwon Province's coastal and mountainous regions, with 124 millimeters recorded in Sokcho and 120 mm in Gangneung, as of 4 p.m., and 100 mm in Yangyang as of 10 a.m. This is significant as the last time daily rainfall in Gangneung exceeded 30 mm was on July 15, when it reached 39.7 mm.
President Lee Jae Myung acknowledged the significance of the rainfall in a Facebook post, expressing hope that it would bring some relief to Gangneung's citizens, who have faced severe water restrictions. He also emphasized the need for improved management systems to address environmental challenges, including climate change.