Flash floods hit western Singapore

Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 12 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE: Flash floods hit various parts of western Singapore on Saturday.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), the highest rainfall recorded as at 5.30 pm was 91.4 mm at Kent Ridge in the West Coast area.

The afternoon heavy downpour caused a canal at Block 611 in Clementi West to overflow.

One resident at the area said he's never seen anything like this in all his 10 years living there.

"When I saw it, I find it very dangerous, because the volume of water was huge; it carried a mass of water, and the current was moving very fast and splashed very strong waves on to the bridge here," said Mr Lim, a Clementi West resident.

Mr Lim said the flood lasted for about 45 minutes.

He said: "All the small drains are all submerged and the water splashed into the HDB block, and all the trees, plants are all half submerged."

National water agency PUB said the flash floods were due to the intense rainfall and high tide of about 3 metres on Saturday afternoon. And this was what caused the Sungei Pandan Kechil canal to overflow.

Flash floods also occurred along the AYE towards ECP and at Neo Pee Teck Lane, but they subsided within 20 minutes.

The flash floods along the AYE towards ECP caused two lanes to be affected while one lane remained passable.

PUB said the length of the affected section was about 100m and water depth was about 15cm.

At Neo Pee Teck Lane, two lanes were affected. The length of the affected section was about 90m and water depth was about 30cm. Water from the road went into the porch of two houses there.

The area is a flood-prone area and PUB has already scheduled drainage improvement works there. The works will start in the first quarter of 2012.

PUB said Saturday's downpour peaked at 1.20pm - 1.50pm during which 52.6mm of rain fell. The rate of rainfall peak intensity during this period was about 105.2mm/hr.

- CNA /ls

Flash floods hit West Coast, condo carpark
Judith Tan Straits Times 13 Nov 11;

A sudden downpour yesterday afternoon caused flooding in the basement carpark of Varsity Park Condominium.

Some residents of the condo in West Coast Road found their cars in bumper-high water, bringing back memories of a similar situation in July last year at another condo.

Then, luxury and sports cars in the basement carpark of the Tessarina, a development in Bukit Timah, were submerged.

A tenant of Varsity Park, who declined to be named, said he got home just after 2pm, in time to move his car to safety.

'This is the first time this has happened here,' he told The Sunday Times, adding that most of his neighbours managed to move their cars in time.

But others, including residents from another condo along the stretch of West Coast Road, did not seem to notice any flooding within the estate.

'I noticed only ankle-high water in the visitors' carpark of Varsity Park,' said an executive who lives in the condo nearby.

Flash floods hit various parts of western Singapore at 1.40pm, with the highest rainfall recorded as 91.4mm at Kent Ridge in the West Coast area.

The heavy downpour also caused a canal at Block 611 in Clementi West Street 1 to overflow.

PUB, the national water agency, said the flash floods were due to the intense rainfall and high tide of 3m, causing the Sungei Pandan Kechil canal to overflow.

Floods also occurred along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) towards the East Coast Parkway (ECP) and in Neo Pee Teck Lane, near Pasir Panjang, but the waters subsided within 20 minutes.

The waters along the AYE towards the ECP caused two lanes to be affected while one lane remained passable.

A spokesman for PUB said the rain at Kent Ridge peaked between 1.20pm and 1.50pm, during which 52.6mm of rain fell.

She added that the water level in Neo Pee Teck Lane rose to about 30cm and flowed onto the porch of two houses there.

The area is flood-prone and PUB has already scheduled drainage improvement works there, which will start in the first quarter of next year.

While flash floods occurred in the vicinity of West Coast Road, the agency said there was no report of flooding along the road itself.

Flash floods hit condo carpark
AsiaOne 13 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE - Many parts of Singapore were hit by flash floods as a result of heavy rain over the weekend.

The heavy downpour yesterday caused the basement carpark of Varsity Park condominium in West Coast to be flooded.

The bumper-high water level was reminiscent of another case last year at Tessarina condominium in Bukit Timah, when luxury and sports cars in the basement carpark were submerged.

A tenant at Varsity Park condo who was interviewed by the Straits Times said this is the first incidence of flooding in the development.

Flash floods hit various parts of Singapore at 1.40pm yesterday, with the highest rainfall recorded as 91.4mm at Kent Ridge in the West Coast area.

The heavy rain yesterday also brought down a tree in Tiong Bahru, which landed on a taxi. No one was injured in the accident.

Ankle-deep flood waters were also reported at a bus stop and hawker centre in Clementi, and a void deck in Pasir Ris.

Heavy downpours were also experienced in many parts of Singapore on Sunday (Nov 13). The rain caused flash floods in the eastern part of Singapore, with parts of Bedok Reservoir Road and East Coast Parkway being flooded.