Typhoon Khanun left at least one person dead and caused flooding and power outages as it plowed through South Korea, though the disruption appeared to be less than had been expected.
(Bloomberg) — Typhoon Khanun left at least one person dead and caused flooding and power outages as it plowed through South Korea, though the disruption appeared to be less than had been expected.
The storm passed near South Korea’s capital, Seoul, at about 10 p.m. local time Thursday before moving north, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. But the impact on North Korea will likely be less dramatic than originally feared, as the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said the system has dissipated above the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas.
Earlier this week, the weather agency warned that the typhoon was on track to deliver an “extremely powerful” impact. The authorities said Korea had never seen a storm that cuts through the interior and crosses into North Korea.
As the storm advanced north over the Korean peninsula, it flooded roads and houses, killing a person in Daegu and cutting off electricity to 40,000 households on Thursday. It also grounded hundreds of flights, halted train services and forced some 15,000 people to evacuate across the country.
President Yoon Suk Yeol told the government to provide damage assistance to those affected by the typhoon, according to a statement Friday. He said Korea was able to minimize the impact by taking preemptive measures, such as pre-evacuation and management of dangerous areas.
Businesses began to return to normal soon after the storm passed, with flights being restored across the country. Korea Railway Corp. resumed operations after suspending some train services in southern and eastern coastal areas on Thursday. Korea Electric Power Corp. said the power outages have almost been fully restored.
South Korea has been facing extreme weather in recent months, from flooding to scorching heat. Khanun came less than a year after the country was battered by Super Typhoon Hinnamnor, which killed more than 10 people and disrupted both power supplies and major industries.
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