Tanglin Mall Flooded Today

[godloveyou 0]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/torrential-downpour-triggers-flash-floods-across-pore-040951911.html

Vivian and PUB must be very busy again liao. Spent $ to "lift up" Orchard rd to create "natural" rain water fall within Tanglin Mall.

Who pays for the damages?

[therat 18]

Video for Tanglin Mall

[therat 18]

some other place

[therat 18]

[therat 18]

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/652304/sunday_morning_storm_causes_floods_in_central_spore.html

The heavy rainfall this morning caused flash floods and made roads impassable to traffic in many areas of Singapore, including Orchard Road and Bukit Timah Road. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) said at 12.15pm today (Jun 5) that the floods in these areas had subsided.

STOMPers from various parts of Singapore have also reported flooding.

Affected areas include Holland Road, Cuscaden Road, Eng Neo Avenue, the Sennett Estate near Potong Pasir, MacPherson, Toa Payoh, and the Balestier area.

The heavy rainfall has also led to flooding indoors at Tanglin Mall and Forum Galleria.

Flash floods at Bt Timah, Dunearn and Orchard roads have subsided, said PUB in a 12.15pm update:

"The flash floods reported earlier along Bukit Timah Road (the stretch from Blackmore road to Maplewood Road) and Dunearn Road (from Rifle Range Road to Yarwood Road) as well as at Orchard Road (Cuscaden Road – at the Tanglin/Tomlinson Road junction; Tanglin/Napir Road junction) have subsided.

"These roads are now passable to traffic."

The PUB had put out a flash floods alert at 11.10am:

"Due to heavy and intense rainfall over Central and Western areas of Singapore, flash floods have been reported at various locations. These include Cuscaden and Hillcrest Roads. Members of the public are reminded to exercise caution on these roads.

"Two lanes along Bukit Timah Road are impassable to traffic. The Kranji Expressway (KJE) at the slip road towards Woodlands is impassable to traffic. Drivers are advised to avoid these roads."

STOMPer Elaine spotted a driver abandoning a stalled car in the Holland Road area:

"There was flooding in the Holland Road area. This car was stalled at Holland Park Road.

"The driver was abandoning it in knee-deep waters."

STOMPer Sunsetkid contributed two photos of the flash floods at Leedon Park 2 and Oei Tiong Ham Park, near Holland Road.

Javan sent in a photo of a car apparent stuck at Cuscaden Road, near Orchard Road:

"A car is stuck in the flood at Cuscaden Road and pedestrians have to wade through knee-high waters.

"A group of workers tried to help the car that was stuck."

A resident of Lutheran Tower, STOMPer Cactus contributed pictures showing knee-high waters covering the roads near Farrer Road:

"I live at Lutheran Towers at Farrer Road. Flooding at knee-high levels this morning."

Steven reported flooding at Eng Neo Avenue:

"Bad weather since early morning have caused Eng Neo Avenue to flood."

STOMPers J Low and Madmac contributed photos showing the flood on Bukit Timah Road.

The Bukit Timah canal, near Newton MRT station, was flooded at about 10am this morning, said STOMPer Elangovan.

James Lai saw that the water levels at a canal at Choa Chu Kang Ave 3 and Brickland Road were very high.

Go to the next page for more flood reports from earlier this morning:

[joey8 2]

Really don't believe Singapore can have floods. Hope our government can

do something about this, can they?

[duffy 0]

But sometimes it is hard to fight with nature I guess?

[wawai 0]

Heard that car insurance do not cover damage caused by flood, is it true?

[bepgof 20]

Heard that car insurance do not cover damage caused by flood, is it true?

3rd party policy - 100% cannot

1st party policy - also 100% cannot, it is "act of God". 1st party covers against thief (mkt value), injuried party's claim, damage due to "human error", "design error"...

[bepgof 20]

- Water level rises fast due to "blockage" somewhere along the drainage channel. "incoming rate" is higher than "outgoing rate".

- Lower in water level difference(between 2 water sources) also "lower down" the rate of flow of water from upper stream.

- The lowest stream is the Marina Barrage where 3 rivers mouths are channelled into. The damming is effective in controlling sea water from entering into CBD area (raffles place, hk street, circular st....)during high tide. One of the cons is, during downpowur, the "reservoir"'s water level affects the flow rates of water from the 3 rivers. Not to mention those channels along each river.

[neubie 2]

3rd party policy - 100% cannot

1st party policy - also 100% cannot, it is "act of God". 1st party covers against thief (mkt value), injuried party's claim, damage due to "human error", "design error"...

those supercars parked at kwek leng beng's st regis oso uplorry...

[Guest cythialum]

Saw from the newspaper that some expensive cars are drowned.

[bepgof 20]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/torrential-downpour-triggers-flash-floods-across-pore-040951911.html

Did a multi-million dollar project to raise low-lying roads in the Orchard area last year contribute to Sunday's flash floods? Or did it prevent even further damage?

This after two Orchard Road buildings -- Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences -- were hardest hit by Sunday's floods -- the worst this year.

The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA), for one, has questioned if the Public Utilities Board project has actually made the problem worse.

ORBA executive director Steven Goh said "It's kind of like an anniversary for us. It happened last year on June 16... and the PUB road raising works has almost been completed."

"It seems like... the problem (had) been transferred from the downstream of Orchard Road to the upstream of Orchard Road," he added.

But the PUB has rebutted Mr Goh's claim and said the flooding would have been worse without the project, it told MediaCorp.

PUB announced last year a $26 million project to raise a 1.4km stretch from Orange Grove Road to Cairnhill Road by an average of 300mm. The project, which started last November, is due to be completed by the end of the month. Currently, the junction of Cuscaden Road and Tomlinson Road is being raised.

At the time, PUB had said that when works are completed, it would "prevent rainwater from overflowing onto the roads but instead contain it inside the canal to be conveyed towards Marina Reservoir. It will also help prevent future flash floods."

However, the PUB did admit that a software glitch led to Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences not being alerted of Sunday's impending flash floods.

It said all other buildings in the area, such as Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Tong Building received the flood alerts. PUB said it would rectify the problem immediately.

Tanglin Mall was among the hardest hit mall on Sunday with several shops having to close temporarily after flood water from Level One, which was at road level, started pouring in.

Within minutes, water fell like a mini-waterfall onto Basement One. Several businesses -- a supermarket, food court and various shops -- were submerged in ankle-deep water and had to close. There was also widespread chaos after the basement carparks were also affected.

In June 2010, similar floods along Orchard Road cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But this time, employees said the floods were worse.

The Little Gym instructor PJ Lucero said on CNA, "The last time it happened, it was actually more mild. We were still able to open the facility for the day. Today (Sunday), of course, everything got submerged, that's why we had to close down.

"In fact, after the first time it happened, we had sandbags ready. We did use those sandbags today (but) it didn't work. The water just went through it".

Chen Jiahui, store manager of Spinelli Coffee Company along Forum Shopping Mall, added, "This is the second time (it flooded). It's really bad, so I hope that the management are doing something about it".

National water agency PUB said the severity of the flood at Tanglin Mall was something it had not seen in the last 25 years.

It said rainfall was more intense than that of June last year, when various parts of Orchard Road were flooded. About 65mm of rainfall was recorded within 30 mins on Sunday morning, compared to 100mm within two hours on June 16, 2010.

Later in the day, at a press conference which was also attended by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Vivian Balakrishnan, PUB explained that the flash floods on Sunday morning were caused by two bouts of heavy rainfall.

It said the first bout of rainfall started slightly past 6am, and second downpour, which was more intense, occurred at about 10.30am.

Speaking after inspecting the flood areas at Tanglin Mall, Dr Balakrishnan said, "Personally, I think our weather has changed. I'm actually psychologically prepared for it to get worse."

"You're dealing with nature, and you're dealing with the weather; you have to be prepared that there is a limit to human engineering and what we can deliver, " he added.

"But having said that, let us make sure we have done the best we can and within those limits, then cope with whatever else that nature throws at us."

In a Sunday post on his blog entitled "Focus of floods: 5 Key questions", the Minister also wrote "We are dealing with Nature, and Man needs to be humble when addressing the challenges that Nature poses".

He also admitted that "sometimes despite our best efforts, we cannot win" when dealing with flood issues but he promised that "we will be open and transparent. We will share as much data in real time as possible so that solutions and precautions can be devised for the immediate and long term."

PUB chief executive Khoo Teng Chye, meanwhile, said he is studying some possible solutions to prevent future occurrences.

"These include, possibly, building a big retention pond near where we can then trap some of the peak flows," Mr Khoo said.

"The other alternative is to really create a diversion canal from where this pond is to the Singapore River. But given Singapore's built-up situation, these are very, very expensive schemes."

What is the use of receiving alert then minutes later see water at door front?

[marshmallow 0]

- The lowest stream is the Marina Barrage where 3 rivers mouths are channelled into. The damming is effective in controlling sea water from entering into CBD area (raffles place, hk street, circular st....)during high tide. One of the cons is, during downpowur, the "reservoir"'s water level affects the flow rates of water from the 3 rivers. Not to mention those channels along each river.

a few of my civil engineers were discussing about the flood and all of them thought that Marina Barrage is the most likely cause. hmmmm.....

Edited June 9, 2011 by marshmallow