Orchard Road floods AGAIN.

[alantkh]

Businesses at Newton, Orchard Road area affected due to flash floods
By Dylan Loh | Posted: 17 July 2010 1934 hrs



Photos 1 of 1



SINGAPORE: It looks like money down the drain again for retailers at Lucky Plaza. About a month after the massive Orchard Road flood, the watery mess returns.

One owner of a shop at Lucky Plaza is a victim of yet another flood. The owner is not happy because renovations were recently completed and as a result of this, business has to stop.

Christina Lim, shop owner, Singapore Gift Centre, said: "This is very bad. I feel that the management should do something about it because this is not the first time. It happens almost every year."

It's a similar story nearby at Liat Towers.

Ng Thian Chin said: "When I came here in the morning at about 6am, the water level was very high.”

It was the same case at the yet-to-be-opened Wendy's restaurant just around the corner which was badly hit by massive flooding in Orchard Road last month.

It seems like the eatery won't be commencing business anytime soon.

Over at Newton Circus, police were managing traffic congestion as a result of flooding.

Singapore's Civil Defence Force managed to rescue those trapped in broken down vehicles. - CNA/vm

 

[alantkh]

I know we cannot expect Singapore to be totally flood free but is it unreasonable to expect ORCHARD ROAD to be flood free??? Alamak, so bad for singapore image... Imagine spend so much money on the Youth Olympics and then all the people from the world come to singapore and see our Number One shopping belt flooded....

Some heads have to roll for this. Where is the sense of responsibility about all these? What are they doing? Last time say drain kenna block. Dun tell me it is block again.... within one month. Lost all credibility.

 

[zac08]

Let's just ask them, so where is the problem this time? once in 50 years, eh??

How many times already these 2 years?

 

[cleonbus]

Feel sad for Wendy's

 

[giantcanopy]

Let's just ask them, so where is the problem this time? once in 50 years, eh??

How many times already these 2 years?

subsequently after the once in 50yrs explaination failed, someone already came out to explain not to expect singapore to be flood free liao.

ryan

 

[alantkh]

subsequently after the once in 50yrs explaination failed, someone already came out to explain not to expect singapore to be flood free liao.

ryan

at least keep the few km square at CBD flood free lah.

backyard flood never mind, nobody see. I think orchard road flood is very embarassing for singaporeans.

 

[night86mare]

actually, i am more worried about the weather:

during the two-hour downpour, some 178.4 millimetres of rain were recorded in the central areas, while 179.6mm of rain were recorded in the eastern areas.

That's more than the average total monthly rainfall of about 159 millimetres for July.

i don't remember july ever being this rainy.

looking at past weather data, july shouldn't be this rainy either.

 

[alantkh]

actually, i am more worried about the weather:



i don't remember july ever being this rainy.

looking at past weather data, july shouldn't be this rainy either.

ya but that amount of rainfall is hardly unexpected. I don't like they keep using the AVERAGE monthly rainfall. common, some years we have whole month no rain, some years very rainy. Average is a very bad number to quote. Maybe a sigma variation should tell the whole picture.

See the quote below about what is considered rare rainfall. The highest is 512mm. YES that is almost 3 times what we got yesterday. Even in recent history 2006 we got 366mm which is TWICE than that yesterday. I shudder what would happen if we get hit by a 366mm rainstorm in dec...

quote from
http://www.getforme.com/previous2006/261206_singaporehitbyheavyrainandflashfloods.htm

Yesterday (20 Dec 2006), Singapore was hit by the third highest rainfall recorded in 75 years.
The 24-hour rainfall recorded was 366 mm. This amount of rainfall recorded in one day exceeds even the average amount of 284 mm recorded for the whole month of Dec in previous years.
In 1978, the highest rainfall recorded over 24 hours was 512 mm while the second highest rainfall recorded was 467 mm in 1969.
Although heavy rainfall is expected during this period, yesterday¡¯s (20 Dec 2006) rainfall was exceptionally high. It caused localized flooding in various locations in the northern and central parts of Singapore.


Noticed the REPEATED use of the "greater than the average rainfall for the whole month" tactic. Too fool errr.... less discerning people that it is very rare to get a rainstorm that is greater than the monthly average.

 

[night86mare]

ya but that amount of rainfall is hardly unexpected. I don't like they keep using the AVERAGE monthly rainfall. common, some years we have whole month no rain, some years very rainy. Average is a very bad number to quote. Maybe a sigma variation should tell the whole picture.

flash flood is very different from a whole day of rain. that is quite sick, when you think about it. it is like... if i put a tap flowing at high speed the whole day, the basin can clear it. but if i pour one bucket in 2 seconds into the basin, it will overflow.

please see:

http://www.woeurope.eu/reports/wxfacts/Flash-Flood.htm

Flash floods are increasingly observed in urban areas where the surface is unable to absorb large amounts of water in a short period.

i think this is a problem that needs a long-term solution. as to what, i guess the authorities should address it soon.

europe is also having loads of trouble with flash floods, in cities as well:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/816121.stm

 

[night86mare]

The 24-hour rainfall recorded was 366 mm. This amount of rainfall recorded in one day exceeds even the average amount of 284 mm recorded for the whole month of Dec in previous years.
In 1978, the highest rainfall recorded over 24 hours was 512 mm while the second highest rainfall recorded was 467 mm in 1969.
Although heavy rainfall is expected during this period, yesterday¡¯s (20 Dec 2006) rainfall was exceptionally high. It caused localized flooding in various locations in the northern and central parts of Singapore.


Noticed the REPEATED use of the "greater than the average rainfall for the whole month" tactic. Too fool errr.... less discerning people that it is very rare to get a rainstorm that is greater than the monthly average.

366mm in one day, versus half that amount in 2 hours. :think::think:

 

[CTN]

subsequently after the once in 50yrs explaination failed, someone already came out to explain not to expect singapore to be flood free liao.

ryan

maybe someone will come out with "50 times a year" new explanation :bsmilie:

 

[alantkh]

flash flood is very different from a whole day of rain. that is quite sick, when you think about it. it is like... if i put a tap flowing at high speed the whole day, the basin can clear it. but if i pour one bucket in 2 seconds into the basin, it will overflow.

please see:

http://www.woeurope.eu/reports/wxfacts/Flash-Flood.htm

i think this is a problem that needs a long-term solution. as to what, i guess the authorities should address it soon.

europe is also having loads of trouble with flash floods, in cities as well:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/816121.stm

you are in UK right? Kind of curious, does Oxford street in London floods every now and then?

I agree that it is impossible to keep the whole city flood free but I think it is reasonable to expect Orchard road to be flood free as it is iconic to singapore. I mean in 2006 thomson was flooded big time. But nobody really cared.

And I really think the 366mm in 2006 occured in a relatively short time. As you said it is DEFINATELY not throughout the day else there will be no flooding. And I think 178 mm of rainfall in 2 hours is not that rare in singapore. Else there PUB will come out and say once every 50 years

By saying that it is higher than the monthly average just makes it SEEM that it is rare. I think you know what I am saying right? did you not study statistics?

 

[mentol]

Hoping to see what reason they give this time.

:bsmilie:

 

[night86mare]

you are in UK right? Kind of curious, does Oxford street in London floods every now and then?

I agree that it is impossible to keep the whole city flood free but I think it is reasonable to expect Orchard road to be flood free as it is iconic to singapore. I mean in 2006 thomson was flooded big time. But nobody really cared.

By saying that it is higher than the monthly average just makes it SEEM that it is rare. I think you know what I am saying right? did you not study statistics?

not in uk, but no, i don't think oxford street floods.

london rainfall is a lot less than singapore, it rains a lot, but the rainfall is small fry........ i never used an umbrella when i was in london.

i understand what you mean by presenting a good image to tourists, and to ourselves as well. actually, no one wants flooding. i think it's sad that a lot of people (not here, so far, to qualify this, but in other places) are presenting it in a light such that the authorities are happy to let it flood. knowing how singapore is, definitely there are loads of things being done to resolve this.

yes, of course i know what you mean. i'm not disputing the fact that higher than monthly average doesn't equate to being rare.

i'm not a meteorologist, nor touched much on subject of weather save to do with photography - so pardon me if i get the picture wrong. 170+ mm rainfall in 2 hours is higher than the average rainfall for the entire month. for average rainfall for the entire month, they are talking about all 30-31 days, right?

let's keep this a cordial discussion - i hope you aren't taking my words to be any form of personal attacks, because i mean nothing, we are all here to learn from each other, no one's knowledge is boundless.

naturally these flash floods aren't the worst in the world, but they seem to be an emerging occurence worldwide. i think it would be a much less manageable problem for singapore - i don't think anything changed much from 2009 to 2010 in terms of drainage systems, nothing SUDDEN anyways. so perhaps some planning would have to be done for the longer term to make room for the occurence of such torrential rainfall. not just a solution to the problem at hand, but also something which will help. at the same time, the solution cannot be too costly, right? for example, the link i provided earlier suggested that urbanisation does play a part in worsening the impact of such flash floods.

i'm thinking that soil does help in handling such flash floods, because when water hits concrete (built up area), it will run off immediately, whereas when it hits soil, the passage of water will be slowed down (at the very least, significantly). perhaps rooftop gardens would help, but for sure, they would possibly be very costly in terms of implementation, maintenance, etc.

 

[alantkh]

i understand what you mean by presenting a good image to tourists, and to ourselves as well. actually, no one wants flooding. i think it's sad that a lot of people (not here, so far, to qualify this, but in other places) are presenting it in a light such that the authorities are happy to let it flood. knowing how singapore is, definitely there are loads of things being done to resolve this.

let's keep this a cordial discussion - i hope you aren't taking my words to be any form of personal attacks, because i mean nothing, we are all here to learn from each other, no one's knowledge is boundless.

naturally these flash floods aren't the worst in the world, but they seem to be an emerging occurence worldwide. i think it would be a much less manageable problem for singapore - i don't think anything changed much from 2009 to 2010 in terms of drainage systems, nothing SUDDEN anyways. so perhaps some planning would have to be done for the longer term to make room for the occurence of such torrential rainfall. not just a solution to the problem at hand, but also something which will help. at the same time, the solution cannot be too costly, right? for example, the link i provided earlier suggested that urbanisation does play a part in worsening the impact of such flash floods.

i'm thinking that soil does help in handling such flash floods, because when water hits concrete (built up area), it will run off immediately, whereas when it hits soil, the passage of water will be slowed down (at the very least, significantly). perhaps rooftop gardens would help, but for sure, they would possibly be very costly in terms of implementation, maintenance, etc.

yup. but initially you pointed the finger at the intensity of the rainfall. And I think a LOT has changed in orchard road in the past year. I am more inclined to believe that the reason is man-made drainage issues rather something related to the climate.

Of course something is being done about it. Hey something WAS done about it last month. But did it work? Being a singaporean, sometimes I am a bit disappointed about the lack of accountability. It is not just one incident but a whole slew of incidents in recent times that give me this feeling....

 

[Sion]

Hoping to see what reason they give this time.

:bsmilie:

The Dragon in West Heaven is thirsty.

All followers must pray with 3 cups of Chinese tea (the finest type) to appease the angry dragon.

 

[ninelives]

The Dragon in West Heaven is thirsty.

All followers must pray with 3 cups of Chinese tea (the finest type) to appease the angry dragon.

get your fact right lar, it is sun wu kong wave the ba jiao fan on mirana bay mah. that's why flood lor.

anyway let lucky plaza flood lor, so many con shops. who will go there and shop /

damn, do you believe in bao yin?

 

[kuanwk]

The Dragon in West Heaven is thirsty.

All followers must pray with 3 cups of Chinese tea (the finest type) to appease the angry dragon.

led by the emperor..

 

[The Hulk]

The Dragon in West Heaven is thirsty.

All followers must pray with 3 cups of Chinese tea (the finest type) to appease the angry dragon.

Hahaha, I use frappacino can? So hilarious. :bsmilie:

 

[romeo tango]

Tell me about it !! I was at CCK range taking part in the Singapore Open Shooting Chanpionship 2010 and the range was flooded due to the heavy downpour ....