Typhoon Preparedness in Korea

Worried about the typhoons that come through South Korea? Learn more about Typhoon preparedness in Korea and how international residents might want to prepare.

Listen to the BlogCast

Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our best to make more of our content accessible. If you would like to join our Accessibility Team apply to volunteer with South of Seoul. Please note that the pronunciation of some Korean words may be inaccurate due to AI technology’s limitations.

About Typhoons in South Korea

Typhoons in South Korea occur most often between the months of May and November. The majority of typhoons impact South Korea between July and September. Keep in mind that weather changes often and typhoons may occur during any month.

Please note that typhoon season and Jangma (monsoon season) in South Korea exist as two separate concepts. Typhoon season refers to the months when typhoons may commonly occur (May-November) and Jangma (monsoon season) refers to an intensely rainy time of the summer (Mid July – August) that may or may not include a typhoon.

Additionally, typhoons and monsoons have different meanings. A typhoon (hurricane) describes a large, rotating tropical storm while a monsoon describes a seasonal rain pattern. 

Korea experiences, on average, 7 typhoons a year. The hardest hit regions are Jeju-do, Gangwon-do, and Jeollanam-do. 

About Typhoon Preparedness in South Korea

Considering the number of typhoons each year, it’s important to have a typhoon Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP). Therefore, this post digs into what international residents need to know as they make their typhoon EPP.

This EPP-related post begins with FEMA standards for preparing for a typhoon and then addresses some Personal Preparedness concerns. Keep in mind that no online post can cover all areas of preparedness for each person. Everyone needs to create their own individual plan based on their unique needs and lens on the world. This EPP-related post exists as a resource to consider in addition to other resources.

Emergency Preparedness Plans for International Residents

As an international resident in South Korea, you may need to take extra steps in creating a succesful and safe EPP. As an international resident, you may have additional concerns such as language barrier, paperwork, limited support system, and a lack of awareness regarding the hidden culture surrounding health care and emergency systems.

During our 12 years living and working in South Korea, South of Seoul volunteers witnessed firsthand extremely tragic and life-threatening situations. Such situations may have been avoided or had less tragic outcomes with a fully developed EPP. Please, deeply consider carefully researching and planning for emergencies during your stay in South Korea.

FEMA Typhoon Preparedness

Most countries may offer similar emergency preparedness advice. Federal Emergency Management Agencies (FEMAs) around the world generally follow similar plans. However, each country may offer additional information based on unique geography, social, or cultural conditions.

The Typhoon Emergency Plan Timeline infographic below shows a FEMA-recommended Typhoon Emergency Plan before, during, and after a typhoon. You can feel free to download and share this graphic as needed.

Before the Typhoon

• Prior to a typhoon reaching landfall in South Korea, international residents should have a plan. An effective emergency plan takes a great deal of research when you are an international resident. You will need to locate hospitals, learn about emergency services, figure out new apps, etc. We have included a worksheet to help you get started.
• Make sure that you have your EPP Go Bag packed. Keep your EPP Go Bag light and easy to carry. Keep the EEP Go Bag near the door and ready to go. It’s best if the bag is waterproof or water resistant. We have included a worksheet to help get you started.
• Consider purchasing a heavy-duty battery charger. As an international resident, you may feel reliant on your phone for many things such as language translation. Since the power may go out for an extended time or you may evacuate to a location without enough outlets, keep a heavy-duty charger fully charged.
• Secure your home. This means going around to make sure:
  • Things can’t blow open (windows doors)
  • Things can’t blow away (outdoor chairs, trash, tables, etc)
  • Hallways are safe from rainwater. Maybe you need extra non-slip shoes or things to lay down on the wet tile
  • Move your car to higher ground and away from potential falling objects
  • Throw away all garbage stuff from home
  • Unplug unnecessary appliances

• Stay on top of the news and information regarding the typhoon. You can use Google or watch the weather channels.
• Evacuate when requested. Don’t be a hero, make sure you evacuate your area if requested by the local authorities.

During the Typhoon

• Once the typhoon begins impacting your area, stay inside. Even if there is no rain, the winds pick up a great deal of debris which can be deadly.
• If you do leave your house, avoid all the flood waters and the seaside. You can get sucked into manholes, swept down rivers, and sick from storm waters. Don’t go in the water and stay away from the seaside.
• Stay in touch with friends and loved ones. This can greatly help with anxiety or stress and provides an added level of information safety.
• If you are on a multi-level property, go to the highest point when needed.

After the Typhoon

• Check your home for damage. Look for damage inside and outside the house that may need to be reported to the landlord.
• Help clean up the community. Check on your neighbors if appropriate and help clean up trash and debris around the area.
• Get in touch with family and friends. Let family back home know you are ok and check on other international residents. We all need each other.

Personal Preparedness to Consider

In addition to the standardized preparations, take time to consider the following individualized planning. Personal Preparedness means additional elements to add to your EPP that related directly to your personal lived experience and lens on the world.

South of Seoul has not listed all of the possible additional Personal Preparedness options. The following examples come from community interviews and feedback after previous national disasters such as floods, fires typhoons, landslides, and more. Such examples may create a useful framework for observing your own needs.

Each person needs to consider their own unique situation and add to the plan. FEMAs offer excellent advice, however, each person also needs to consider their own unique situation such as:

• Individual or family medical needs (Example: Are you about to give birth? Consider getting a hotel near a hospital.)
• The geography surrounding the immediate locations
• Clarity on social expectations (such as attendance at work)
• Access to transportation, important documents, etc

Let’s look at a few examples of some individual considerations. After reading the following examples South of Seoul provides a Personal Preparedness Worksheet to help you plan for your own personal needs.

Example: Pregnant or Medically Fragile

• Pregnant or medically fragile individuals may want to consider staying in a hotel near a hospital during a typhoon. Access to hospitals, loss of utilities, road closures, and other situations may impact access to medical facilities.

Example: Personal Vehicles

• Consider removing your car from underground garages or street parking in low areas. It may be worth it to pay high parking prices to park in a raised garage during heavy rain.
• Vehicles parked on the street may want to move to an enclosed garage due to high winds. Debris tends may fly around in typhoons and damage exposed vehicles. This could include parts of trees, buildings, and signs.

Example: Living in Remote Locations

• Have a full tank of gas. You may get cut off from gas stations or stations may be closed. Consider keeping your car ready for evacuation.

Example: Securing Paperwork

• As international residents, we may have paperwork that can not easily be replaced. Consider keeping birth certificates, immigration paperwork, and work-related documents in a waterproof container that you can easily transport. Take all such paperwork with you when you evacuate.

Example: Consider Your Employment Situation

• Communicate with the employer about expectations related to attendance during a Typhoon. Make sure you know who to contact in case you can’t get to work or have an emergency at home.
• If your employer insists on all employees coming to work, consider staying at a hotel near work. Especially, if you have a long commute that may be interrupted by the typhoon. You could also ask your employer to pay for a place for employees to stay near work. Obviously, it’s ideal to stay home. However, employees may find themselves in vulnerable situations that need options and it’s important to be safe as possible.

Example: Mental Health Support

• Plan to manage anxiety. Since this may be your first typhoon and you may have anxiety, make a plan for managing the unknown.
• Schedule a therapy session after the storm. It’s a great idea to have somebody to talk to through the experience. Plan ahead and have an appointment planned. Here are mental health support options in Korea.
• Have people to talk to. Keep your phone on the charger and chat with family and friends during the worst of the storm to help keep perspective.

Emergency Preparedness Plan Worksheet for International Residents

South of Seoul created an Emergency Preparedness Plan Worksheet (EPPW) specifically for international residents living in South Korea. We embedded the EPPW below. Anyone can download the following EPPW pdf for personal use or modify and share it with their own communities.

The EPPW includes:

• Page 1: Important emergency numbers to post in the house
• Page 2: Lists for packing a Go Bag
• Page 3: Social-Cultural Checklist

Additional Resources

The following resources may also come in handy:

• Archived Korean emergency alerts in English
• Korea Meteorological Administration Notices (English)
• Ministry of Interior and Safety (English)
• Korea’s preparedness for public health emergencies
• Preparation and Warning for Typhoon in South Korea
• Typhoon season on Korea FED construction sites