Torrential rains have battered South Korea, leaving four people dead and forcing the evacuation of more than 1,300 residents on July 17. Officials warn that the unusually heavy downpours are expected to persist, prompting the government to raise its weather disaster alert to the highest level.
Seosan, a city on the country’s west coast and the hardest hit by the storm, saw over 400 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours—an event the national weather agency called a once-in-a-century occurrence.
Extreme events like this are becoming more frequent with climate change, though the phenomenon is nothing new. History has recorded some truly terrifying floods—natural disasters that have killed thousands and destroyed homes and livelihoods.
Click through and be reminded of some of the worst floods on record.