IT information services company Hecto Innovation said on Tuesday that its weather-based daily life support platform Weatherdol has launched a “local flood risk map” that lets users check various data related to heavy rain.

The Weatherdol “local flood risk map” displays flood risk in nearby areas on a map based on a user’s current location, the company said. It classifies risk into 5 levels: risk, alert, caution, attention and low. The flood risk level is calculated by combining rainfall data with the 5-tier “disaster risk zone” grades from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s disaster safety data sharing platform.

Users can also check expected rainfall over the next 12 hours by disaster risk zone using Korea Meteorological Administration data. Using the map allows users to identify flood-risk areas on a map without searching weather information by region or looking up information from multiple agencies.

Weatherdol also provides real-time CCTV footage of roads and other areas linked to disaster risk zones in the app when it is difficult to assess on-site conditions using only the information shown on the map. It has installed its own observation devices at 17 locations, including major commercial districts and transport hubs in Seoul and Gyeonggi, and baseball stadiums nationwide, and displays real-time weather information near those installation areas on the map.

A Hecto Innovation official said, “Recently, due to climate change, flood damage from rain pouring down in an instant in specific areas is becoming frequent.” The official added, “We hope that through Weatherdol’s ‘local flood risk map,’ which combines real-time CCTV and weather data provided by the government with our own observation data, people can recognize risks in advance and proactively prepare for flood damage.”

Weatherdol, which started with the concept of a “stone that tells the weather,” aims to be a “comprehensive daily life support platform” that supports users’ schedules, travel and safe daily lives based on the weather, beyond simply providing weather information.