Changes in the Disaster Area by Heavy Snowfall in Korea

Abstract

: This study was aimed to investigate the spatial distributions and temporal changes of disaster areas due to heavy snowfall at all cities and guns (country level) in Korea during 1979Korea during -2014. The number of days of damage caused by heavy snowfall has increased, and amounts of damage also increased. However, the number of casualties by the heavy snowfall damage has decreased in the deaths and missing. Although the damage by heavy snowfall was concentrated in Gangwon Yeongdong region during 1980s, the damage had extended to the eastern coast of Gyeongbuk region, Chungcheong region, and the western coast of Jeolla region in 1990s. In 2000s, the damage was largely concentrated in Gyeonggi region, Chungcheong region and the southern part of western coastal area while the damage in the surrounding regions of the Taebaek Mountains were dominant during the early 2010s. The spatial and temporal patterns of the damage caused by heavy snowfall have changed over the study period with the decadal variations.