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| GREAT
KOREAN FLOOD OF 1998 |
Our
year in Korea was one of excitement, fun and tragedy. Although we saw and did many
wonderful things, we also were unfortunate enough to live through the Great Korean Flood
of 1998. This flood not only devastated the Korean countryside, the Korean people
and their homes, but also affected many Americans. Camp Casey was hit hard by the
flood.
It all began on August
5, 1998. The soldiers at Camp Casey and the surrounding posts were kept busy for the
next several weeks doing clean up on the posts. Meanwhile, "down range" in
Tongduchon, there was total devastation of many homes and shops. It was amazing to
see the Korean people rally together to help one another get their lives back on
track. The soldiers on Camp Casey were locked down for almost a month after the
flood. Many never got a chance to see the devastation downtown. Many of the
wives were left off post to "fend" for themselves. But we all rallied
together to help one another put each other's lives back together again. it was
definitely a time I will never forget. One that many Koreans will never forget also.
At the time I was
working for the Camp Casey Job Assistance Center as an Automation Specialist. The
Job Assistance Center was demolished! All our computers, furniture, books, files,
etc. were lost. It was a mess. Thanks to help from everyone working at the Job
Assistance Center, people from the Transition Center and a lot of the soldiers on Camp
Casey, we slowly were able to put the JAC back together again. It was a long and
painful process, but we all managed somehow.
Special thanks goes to CPT Neville
Archer for his digital pictures of the flood. |
The Aftermath at the Job Assistance
Center
 The Camp Casey ACAP
Center. Notice the water level on the outside of the building. The water came
in a great rush and then receded very quickly. What devastation it left behind in
its wake. When we first arrived that morning, we couldn't even get in the front
door. The water had rushed through with such force that it had knocked over a soda
machine and the machine was blocking the entrance to the door. We peeked inside and
were astonished at the chaos. Everything had tumbled around. Desks were turned
on their sides, computers were strewn all about.
ACAP employees starting on the clean-up.
Boy what a mess it was. Everything in the office was destroyed. All of
our files, computers, equipment and furniture. It was a mess! We all worked
hard for many weeks to come trying to get the ACAP Center back on its feet again.
Special thanks to all the soldiers at Camp Casey who came to our rescue!
Whats left of my desk. Notice the water
level in the rear. There was 5 1/2 feet of water in the ACAP Center.
Downtown Tongduchon "Down
Range" - Camp Casey
The devastation "down range" was
great. All of the shops on the main drag were wiped out. All their merchandise
in their shops was destroyed. The insides of the shops was covered in mud.
As you can see from this picture, all of the
shops were destroyed. The metal doors were beaten down and merchandise was
everywhere. This picture was taken after the water had receded several feet.
The Clean-Up Begins
Everything in the shops was destroyed.
The Korean people had many a long days ahead of them cleaning up the mess from the flood.
Many people lost all their belongings in their
homes also. This picture was taken almost a week after the flood. You can see
Korean ROK soldiers (dressed in the shorts & green shirts) helping with the
clean-up. People just threw their belongings out into the street and the ROK
soldiers came by to pick it up. The soldiers worked very hard for over two months
cleaning up the aftermath from the flood. This is the street we lived on.
Apartments Outside Camp Hovey
Our Apartment Building
These are the stairs leading to the
downstairs apartments in our building. As you can see, there wasn't much left down
there. The people were awakened at about 1:30 a.m. on August 5th with the sound of
rushing water coming down the stairs. They had just enough time to get one of their
prized possessions (their color t.v.) up the stairs to the second floor where we lived.
We were so lucky to have been living on the second floor!!!
The Devastation on Camp Hovey
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