Floodwaters trap a vehicle on a road near Camp Humphreys, South Korea, July 17, 2025. (Yoojin Lee/Stars and Stripes)
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — Torrential rain on Wednesday and Thursday flooded areas in and around Camp Humphreys, south of Seoul, causing transit delays, road closures and damage to nearby farmland.
Pyeongtaek, home to Humphreys and Osan Air Base, received up to 10.3 inches of rain between midnight and 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the Korean Meteorological Administration. In comparison, Seoul saw up to 5.6 inches during the same period, while Kunsan Air Base, about 115 miles south of the capital, recorded up to 6.7 inches.
One of two Seoul-based trains with routes to Pyeongtaek Station have been canceled since Thursday morning due to heavy downpours, according to the Korea Railroad Corp.
At Humphreys, about 9 inches of rain fell between 4 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Thursday, base spokesman Jeff Nagan said by email. The base’s Directorate of Public Works received a surge in work orders following the deluge, and military police briefly redirected traffic as a precaution.
“We urge drivers to exercise caution both on and off post and to never drive through flood waters,” he said.
Visibility on base roads dropped as low as 164 feet Thursday afternoon due to the weather, according to a post on Humphreys’ official Facebook page.
No damage was reported at Osan, although its low-lying location makes it vulnerable to flooding, 51st Fighter Wing spokesman Maj. Kip Sumner said by email Thursday. Kunsan also reported no disruptions to services, 8th Fighter Wing spokesman Capt. Alvin Nelson wrote in an email.
Waist-high floodwaters submerged a minivan on a road near Humphreys’ southern gate. Nearby agricultural fields were also inundated.
The minivan’s owner, Kim Tae Yu, a carpenter at Humphreys, said he was waiting for the water to recede so he could tow his vehicle.
“Around 11:30 a.m., the water was up to the car windows,” he told Stars and Stripes at the scene Thursday afternoon. “I saw a cargo truck driving down the road and my car was following. But my car was pushed aside, and the engine was cut off. I was supposed to work today, but I couldn’t.”
Gyeonggi-do — South Korea’s most populous province, which includes Pyeongtaek — is expected to get an additional 2 to 6 inches of rain within the next 48 hours, according to the meteorological administration.
