South Korea: Live Weather Report Via Twitter During Typhoon · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Twitter has scored again in South Korea with a live weather report during a typhoon that pounded Korean Peninsula today. The typhoon Kompasu battered the country immediately prior to and during rush hour — shattering glass, uprooting trees, tearing down walls and even destroying a stadium. People have tweeted to notify others which routes are not blocked by trees and flying signboards and have (re)tweeted recent updates and uploaded photos of chaotic scenes.
Typhoon Kompasu (compass, in Japanese) was in the  Seoul metropolitan area for only five hours, but it hit hard enough to cause the devastating scenes pictured below. The strongest tropical storm to hit the area in 15 years, has paralyzed metro operations, caused massive power outages, and forced airlines to cancel or divert. As the typhoon reached its maximum strength at around 5 to 6 am local time, tens of thousands of commuters encountered its destructive power on their way to work. These photos were tweeted by citizen journalists to show others what the storm has done around their location and give tips on road conditions.
@demoon84: 종합운동장 펜스도 태풍 앞엔 어쩔 수 없네여 http://twitpic.com/2kclkp
@demoon 84: 길거리는 아수라장입니다… 태풍 정말 무섭네여
@runintosky: 맞은편 아파트 창문이랑 난간이 다 떨어졌어요..
@tomato 1981 : 홈플러스 간판 떨어졌어요.
@drumboy83: 압구정 갤러리아 앞 상황입니다 참고하세요 http://twipl.net/AklW
Many shared tips on traffic conditions;
@taiji410: #gangnam_ 은마파출소에서 휘문고올라가는 언덕 우측 가로등이 쓰러져있었는데… 아까 6시30분쯤… 도로 절반을 막아서 중앙선 넘어 올라갔네요~ 흐아~ 지금은치웠을래나… http://yfrog.com/3dn1qjj
@TheAPLLL: 7호선도 청담대교 건널때 서행하느라 모든 역에서 1분씩 정차하네요…
@cocmoon: RT @Twit_Korea: 강풍에 아파트 베란다 유리창이 깨지고 있습니다. 신문지에 물을 적셔서 유리창에 붙이면 깨짐이 방지된다네요. -재난대책본부 #태풍_ 곤파스 http://twitpic.com/2kcl4c
With almost all above-ground sections of the city's subway lines out of service, commuters have undergone the worst transportation disaster in years, but Twitter has made it more manageable for some.