Nearly 20 people have been confirmed dead and several remain missing after floods and landslides followed five days of unrelenting torrential rain in South Korea, The New York Times reported.

What's happening?

According to Al Jazeera, a protracted period of heavy rains began on July 16, marking the "heaviest hourly rainfall on record" in the country's central and southern provinces.

The county of Sancheong in the South Gyeongsang Province — where a foot of rain fell on July 19 — incurred the brunt of the damage. Per the Times, 10 died and four went missing when floods and landslides ravaged the small, rural region.

Korea JoongAng Daily reported that an "unprecedented evacuation order" was issued countywide Saturday. As night began to fall, first responders successfully evacuated 34 people who were trapped by a landslide in a six-hour rescue effort.

"I've lived here for nearly 50 years, but I've never seen this much rain or the stream overflow and cover the road like that," said Naeri Village Chief Kang Yong-ho.

Korean officials indicated that a total of 14,000 people were displaced, their homes "lost or damaged" in the immediate chaos.

Why is the flooding in South Korea so concerning?

Record-breaking rainfall and ensuing floods are considered forms of extreme weather, which the World Meteorological Organization defines as "rare [for] a particular place and time of year, with unusual characteristics in terms of magnitude, location, timing, or extent."

Landslides were the subject of a March analysis by the European Climate and Health Observatory, which determined that whenever the "cause of [any] landslide was identified, it was most commonly [precipitated by] extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and floods." 

Higher sustained average temperatures and warmer seas act as catalysts for these increasingly prevalent weather disasters, supercharging volatile conditions like hurricanes and wildfires. 

Violent and even deadly weather has always occurred, but the frequency of these weather events, coupled with their escalating intensity, puts people and communities worldwide at risk.

Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely 🥰 Somewhat 😮‍💨 Depends on the time of year 😷 Not at all 🤢 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

As incidents of extreme weather become more commonplace, understanding key climate issues and their impact on weather patterns is a crucial safety measure.

What's being done about it?

Weather officials in South Korea issued warnings about an ensuing heatwave as the floods abated.

On Monday, they dispersed chemicals in affected regions to prevent the spread of illnesses in flood-damaged areas.

The following day, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung designated special disaster zones in six of the worst-hit districts, while over 2,500 people were left displaced.

Per the BBC, the South Korean government "has launched a multi-agency recovery effort" in the aftermath, calling upon "all available resources."

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.