'Heavy rain, inability of pumps to cope led to flooding'

Marina Barrage has helped prevent floods, not contribute to them
Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

WHILE national water agency PUB has cut flood-prone areas from 3,178ha in 1970 to 66ha now, floods in recent years, such as those on Sunday, have caused damage, stalled traffic and posed safety risks.

The Straits Times put some questions to the agency yesterday:

The PUB now has sensors in major drains and canals; what steps are taken once they show drains are filling up? Which specific drains overflowed?

PUB has expanded its network of water level sensors from 32 to 90 in December 2010, and will further increase these to 150 by the end of this year.

These sensors have been installed at key canals and drains, and this enlarged network of sensors provides timely information about water levels, which the public can also access on PUB's website.

Information on water levels is also sent via SMS alert to schools and building managements in areas which have a history of flooding.

SMSes are sent to subscribers when water levels rise beyond 75per cent and 90per cent of the canal's depth. Through such an alert mechanism, building managements can take the necessary precautions to prepare for the possibility of flash floods.

Owners of buildings in Orchard Road such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel received the alerts. The only exceptions were Tanglin Mall and St Regis. This was due to a problem with the system software which will be immediately rectified.

When PUB receives heavy rain warnings, we mobilise our staff and contractors to the sites (for example, Orchard Road and Bukit Timah). They check for chokages in the drains and clear them if any so that the drains can be kept free flowing.

During Sunday's rain event, the Bukit Timah Canal (along the stretch from Blackmore Road to Maplewood Road) overflowed. The drains at Cuscaden Road and the junction of Tanglin/Napier Roads also overflowed.

What are hot spots and flood-prone areas? And what precautions are taken for the residents in those areas?

Hot spots are localised areas where flash floods occur due to intense storms or specific localised conditions such as constrictions and bottlenecks in the drains, depressions along the road profile, inadequate drainage outlets along the roads and so on.

Flood-prone areas are those areas which are low-lying and/or do not have adequate drainage, with past records of flooding.

After each flash flood, PUB systematically investigates the cause and takes measures to improve the drainage at that location - for example, improving stretches of roadside drains and road culverts to remove bottlenecks, raising stretches of depressed roads, increasing the number of drainage outlets and stepping up maintenance of drainage outlets.

At present, the known flood-prone areas (66ha) are scattered in pockets across various parts of the island. Some examples are:

Eastern/northern (for example, Upper East Coast Road/Bayshore Road, Farnborough Road, Lorong Buangkok, Nee Soon Road, Admiralty Road West): 14ha

Western (for example, Benoi Sector, Yung Ann Road, Jurong Port Road, Jalan Haji Alias/Coronation Road West [Bukit Timah area]): 9ha

Central (for example, Syed Alwi Road [Jalan Besar area], Cambridge Road/Dorset Road [Farrer Park area] Lincoln Road/Surrey Road, Cantonment Link/Keppel Road, Rose Lane, Meyer Road/Fort Road/Arthur Road, Jalan Gembira/Siang Kuang Avenue [MacPherson area]): 43ha

Many of these are low-lying areas. PUB will progressively implement drainage improvement projects to reduce the risk of flooding in these areas. However, in some cases, low-lying areas will need to be raised in conjunction with redevelopment proposals.

A full list of flood-prone areas can be found on PUB's website at http://www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods/fpa/Pages/default.aspx

Pedestrians are advised not to walk through flooded areas because of the risk of hidden hazards. The public can also visit www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods for more information about managing flash floods.

Could increased construction such as the upcoming Downtown Line be contributing to rainwater runoff and flood risk?

All developments are required to ensure that the drainage system in the vicinity of the construction sites will not be adversely affected by construction works. PUB works closely with developers to monitor their construction activities to make sure that drains remain free from debris and obstructions.

Have developers been responsible in ensuring their drainage complies with flood-control measures? Has PUB taken any action against anyone?

Yes, generally, developers are required to comply with drainage requirements as stipulated in the latest version of the Code of Practice at the point in time. This is done via a building plan/development control consultation process. However, if any non-compliance is found upon completion, PUB is empowered under the Sewerage and Drainage Act to issue notice to building owners to rectify the non-compliance. Such notices have been issued in a few instances.

What is being done to reduce flood risk at all the other flood hot spots and high-risk areas?

PUB has an ongoing drainage improvement programme to implement such works in hot spots and flood-prone areas. Tenders have been and will be called for other works as well. However, in the case of some low-lying flood-prone areas, these areas will need to be raised in conjunction with redevelopment proposals.

A list of scheduled and accelerated drainage improvement projects is at: http://www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods/reducingfloods/Pages/ImprovementWorks.aspx

All seven of the Marina Barrage water pumps were opened in the late morning on Sunday and yet it still flooded upstream. Why? Why have Singapore's biggest floods in recent years all occurred after the construction of the barrage?

The Marina Barrage is part of a comprehensive flood control scheme to alleviate flooding in the low-lying areas in the city such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Jalan Besar and Geylang. By removing tidal influence, the five rivers (Stamford Canal, Rochor Canal, Kallang River, Singapore River and Geylang River) are safe from back-flow of water as the water level within the Marina Reservoir can be kept constant or lowered when there are impeding storms.

By keeping seawater out, Marina Barrage acts as a tidal barrier to reduce flash floods in low-lying areas in the city. Its nine crest gates will be lowered if there is excess water in the basin. In the event that heavy rain coincides with high tides, seven drainage pumps will be activated to remove excess storm water in the basin.

In fact, during the recent floods, the operation of the barrage helped prevent low-lying areas like Chinatown and Boat Quay from flooding.

In fact, flooding in the affected buildings was due to a combination of an excessive amount of rain falling directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope.

PUB alert didn't reach two flood-hit buildings
Agency to fix glitch that left Tanglin Mall, St Regis without early warning
Leow Si Wan Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

THE PUB said yesterday that flood alerts were sent to Orchard Road building owners on Sunday, but not to the two that needed them most - Tanglin Mall and the St Regis complex.

The reason: A technical glitch.

'This was due to a problem with the system software which will be immediately rectified,' a PUB spokesman told The Straits Times.

The mall and the upscale St Regis Residences suffered the most damage when floods hit Singapore's premier shopping belt on Sunday.

Tanglin Mall centre director Jenny Ng said: 'This is very worrying... If we had known a bit earlier, we could have done more. Sunday's floods really caught us by surprise.'

A spokesman for St Regis said it regarded the missing alert as 'a significant matter' and would contact PUB to make sure that it receives future alerts.

Shops in Tanglin Mall's first floor and basement one were badly flooded, as were its three basement carparks.

Cold Storage's Market Place supermarket, which was flooded and saw part of its false ceiling collapse, remained closed yesterday.

Over at St Regis Residences, the basement three carpark was hit and about 40 cars - many of them luxury brands, including a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin and a Ferrari - were submerged.

The St Regis Hotel saw some water enter the loading dock area, but it caused only 'minimal surface damage'.

Although the PUB said that 'building owners along Orchard Road such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel received the alerts', the Orchard Road Business Association said yesterday that at least one other mall had not received the alert.

The association's executive director, Mr Steven Goh, said Forum The Shopping Mall was not notified.

Some basement shops were ankle-deep in water.

Mr Goh pointed out that after Orchard Road was hit by floods on June 16 last year, the PUB had said stakeholders would be alerted via text message whenever its sensors detected a high level of water.

'But as far as we know from what the affected malls told us, they were not notified. The flood alert system did not work,' he said.

Dismayed by Sunday's 'anniversary flood', Mr Goh said: 'We are certainly very disappointed that this has happened again.'

Last year's floods caused severe damage to goods in buildings farther up Orchard Road.

Liat Towers was the worst hit, with luxury goods retailer Hermes, apparel house Massimo Dutti and fast-food restaurant Wendy's hit badly.

The PUB and Land Transport Authority swung into action after that, raising the level of Orchard Road.

This time, the floods hit the Tanglin/ Cuscaden end of the shopping belt.

The business association said it now doubted the effectiveness of the effort to raise the road and prevent flooding.

Noting that the work was almost completed, Mr Goh said: 'Our suspicion is that these works have transferred the problem from mainstream Orchard to the outskirts where Tanglin Mall is located.'

But the PUB said the work to raise the road had not contributed to Sunday's flooding and without it, the situation would have turned out worse.

The association will meet PUB officials on Thursday to seek answers.

Mr Goh said: 'The government has said it will carry out a review of the drainage system, but this might take years. We are concerned about what is going to happen in the near future. We need assurance about what will work for Orchard Road.'

Clean-up work in the affected buildings continued yesterday, and it was business as usual in most shops.

But some retailers remained upset.

At Orchard Towers, where the basement was flooded, retailers reported losses of between $6,000 and $40,000.

Tailor Rajiv K., 57, was unhappy that the building management had taken a long time to clean the common areas and had not offered help to tenants.

Another tailor, Mr J. Lim, 46, added: 'It is a nightmare. Last year it happened, but this year it got worse. It is going to take me many days to fully assess the damage.'

At Forum The Shopping Mall, the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant in the basement and Little Gym remained closed yesterday.

California Pizza Kitchen estimated it had lost $20,000 worth of business. Two-thirds of its seating area was affected, said assistant manager Rodel Azarcon.

Meanwhile, shoppers were hoping the area would not be hit again any time soon.

Said administrative assistant Candy Liu, 26: 'I was surprised it flooded again. I thought that something would have been done by now. Hopefully, there won't be a third time.'

Additional reporting by Neo Wen Tong and Goh Kai Shi

Pumps could not cope: Tanglin Mall
They were working, but could not handle the huge volume of water
Leow Si Wan, Neo Wen Tong & Goh Kai Shi Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

TANGLIN Mall said yesterday that the flooding in the shopping centre was not a result of pump failure.

Centre director Jenny Ng said: 'We told the PUB for the record that the pumps were working correctly.

'The flood did not occur because the pumps did not work. Rather, it was that too much water got into the pumps, causing them to fail in the end.'

The Orchard Road Business Association's executive director, Mr Steven Goh, said that pump systems are located in the basement of every shopping centre, but these would not have been able to handle the large volume of water that came gushing down on Sunday.

Pump failure had been blamed for the flooding in Tanglin Mall on Sunday.

By 11am that day, the first floor of the mall, which is located at the junction of Tanglin and Grange roads, had turned into a mini-waterfall, pouring water into the basement.

The basement carparks were also flooded, with the water level at the lowest level, basement four, reaching about knee height.

Some of the false ceiling boards in the Market Place supermarket came crashing down.

The 18-year-old mall, which is operated by Cuscaden Properties and is popular with expatriates, was open for business yesterday.

Most of the shops were operating, although Market Place remained closed. A spokesman for the supermarket said the store will reopen partially today.

Ms Ng added that a row of sandbags had been placed along the pedestrian mall and at the entrance of its carpark, which has re-opened.

Shoppers had also returned.

Ms Ng said: 'Our mall is safe, and there are no major renovations required. We are now carrying out cleaning and minor works like repainting. Hopefully, this can be all be done within the week.'

She added that the mall has yet to ascertain the cost of renovations as it is now focusing on recovery.

'We are also working with PUB to look at whether there are any preventive measures such as putting sandbags or any physical infrastructure,' she said.

'But this is not straightforward. We need to carry out studies and work with the authorities.'

As for compensating tenants, she said they have been asked to refer to their insurers.

However, some retailers such Madam Michelle Goh, 53, owner of clothes and jewellery store SuLin Serio, will not be able to do so.

She said she has been at Tanglin Mall since it opened and had always bought insurance.

'But I just happened to forget to renew it last June, and now this happened,' she said.

She is hoping that the mall management will be able to help. Her shop suffered losses estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000.

Meanwhile, she said she was worried about future floods, and wondered: 'Has the shoring up at the Lucky Plaza area shifted the flooding and the deluge to our side? How fast will this be rectified, and what are the authorities doing?

'The momentum of business and our shoppers is definitely affected and broken.'

Floods not linked to work to raise Orchard Road, says PUB
Royston Sim Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

ON-GOING work to raise a stretch of Orchard Road did not cause nearby areas to flood, the PUB said yesterday.

Rather, huge amounts of rainfall flowing into the basements of buildings and inadequate internal drainage pumps were to blame, it said.

On Sunday morning, water gushed into the basement levels of Tanglin Mall from the first floor, which is at road level. Flood waters also struck nearby Cuscaden Road.

Tanglin Mall had escaped the Orchard floods last year, and there has been talk of whether raising a segment of Orchard Road further up could have diverted flood waters to the Tanglin area.

Work to raise a 1.4km stretch of road between Orchard Parade Hotel and Cairnhill Road began last November, in response to floods last June.

The PUB is raising that segment by an average of 30cm, and up to 50cm in the lower-lying areas. This allows water to flow into the drains instead of pooling by the road.

A PUB spokesman said flooding in the affected buildings on Sunday was due to an 'excessive amount of rain which fell directly into the basements' and the 'inability' of their internal drainage pumps to cope.

The spokesman said the intense rain caused the drains at Cuscaden Road and the junction of Tanglin and Napier roads to overflow.

She added that water in the drains flows from Cuscaden to Orchard roads, so raising the latter would not have resulted in flooding in Tanglin Mall and the Cuscaden area.

Engineering experts also said raising Orchard Road was unlikely to have caused surrounding areas to flood.

Mr Lim Peng Hong, president of the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore, said PUB would have factored in where the runoff would flow before deciding to raise Orchard Road.

Dr Ole Larsen, director of the DHI-NTU Centre, which focuses on water and environment research, agreed with PUB's point that Tanglin Mall is sited upstream of Orchard Road.

This meant that flood waters were unlikely to have flowed back to the mall, he said.

Roads in Singapore are also not designed to carry or divert surface runoff from rain to other areas. Instead, water is conveyed away in drains and canals. The amount of runoff from the road is thus insignificant, he said.

This is unlike the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) in Kuala Lumpur, which was designed to tackle the problem of flash floods, he said.

There are two motorway decks in this facility. During storms, flood water is diverted into the lower deck, while the upper motorway remains open to traffic.

The entire motorway is closed to all traffic during major storms, as automated water-tight gates are opened to allow flood waters to pass through.

In Singapore, drains and canals serve as conduits to channel flood waters downstream to the Marina Barrage, said Dr Larsen.

Damage will most likely be covered by insurance
Daryl Chin Straits Times 7 Jun 11;

HE had bought it only two months earlier, so investment banker Matthew Song was not pleased when he discovered his $350,000 BMW M3 partially submerged in a basement carpark.

Mr Song said his vehicle was one of about 40 damaged on Sunday when water poured into the St Regis Residences condominium in Tanglin Road. They included an Aston Martin and two Bentleys, as well as Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

There was one consolation for Mr Song, however. At least he had paid the $3,000 annual premium to insure his car.

The 33-year-old's vehicle has been towed away, while he waits for the damage assessment to be sent to him.

'It is a great inconvenience, but at least I can get something back, even though the car is not going to be the same again,' he said.

He is not the only one who will be breathing a sigh of relief.

Cars, homes and shops affected by the floods should be covered by insurance, as long as the plans are comprehensive enough, agents told The Straits Times yesterday.

They said the size of payouts depends on many factors, including the value of the goods insured.

Insurance agent Daniel Tan, 39, said that over the past 14 years, he has seen more people buying comprehensive packages, which typically provide more cover for a greater premium.

'Perhaps it is due to the uncertainty of the weather over the past few years, coupled with savvier consumers,' he said.

Most homes and shops are also likely to be covered against floods if the owners are savvy enough, said insurance agent Donny Chai, 42.

Floods are normally covered under 'other hazards', which include earthquakes, fire and lightning, said Ms Chai.

'Of course, higher premiums hurt the pocket, but it doesn't hurt as much as losing everything,' she said.

The floods in June and July last year cost an estimated $22.9 million in insurance payouts.

The General Insurance Association of Singapore has said previously that $11.6 million was paid out in motor vehicle claims, and $11.3 million for property damage and interruption to business.

It added that 428 successful claims were made for damaged vehicles, and 440 for property and business losses.

Why Tanglin Mall didn't get flood alerts
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB has responded to concerns raised by the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) that building owners did not receive flood alerts on Sunday and were caught off guard.

PUB said building owners along Orchard Road such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel had received the alerts.

The only exceptions were Tanglin Mall and St Regis.

It said this was due to a problem with the system software which will be immediately rectified.

PUB also responded to the association's concerns about the effect that its road-raising works had on the flood situation in Orchard Road.

PUB said the Orchard Road road-raising project did not contribute to the floods on Sunday.

It said without the raising, the situation would have been worse, given the higher intensity of rainfall.

It explained the junction of Cuscaden Road and Tomlinson Road is currently being raised and the works are expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Water along Cuscaden Road is designed to flow towards Orchard Road.

PUB added the flooding in the affected buildings were due to a combination of an excessive amounts of rain which fell directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope.

It said Sunday's rainfall was more intense than that of June last year, with about 65mm recorded within 30mins, compared to the 100mm within two hours on June 16, 2010.

-CNA/wk

'We're disappointed with PUB'
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) has said it is disappointed with Singapore's national water agency PUB over floods on Sunday, which hit businesses in some areas on Orchard Road.

ORBA represents 52 stakeholders in the shopping belt.

Tanglin Mall was the worst hit, with some shops suffering a drop in business of up to 80 per cent.

Shop owners there said they are hoping for some help.

Home-Fix retail executive Ricky Soo said: "All of us do hope that as tenants,... out of good will, something (would be done).

"Obviously there's something wrong with the building -- that's why... all the water (gushed) in".

Mr Soo said he expects his business to suffer losses for another two to three days as the cleaning up and repairs to areas damaged by the flood continue.

Another shopping mall which was flooded was the basement of Forum Shopping Mall.

California Pizza Kitchen, located at the basement of the mall, suffered losses of up to 75 per cent.

It is now trying to dry the lower level of its two-storey restaurant, which can seat about 200 customers. Its dining area upstairs can take 60 customers.

ORBA executive director Steven Goh said the flooding on Sunday felt like a repeat of last June's floods.

"It's kind of like an anniversary for us," Mr Goh said.

"It happened last year on 16th of June, almost (around) the same time. And the PUB road raising works has almost been completed.

"This has caused a big concern because it seems like... the problem (had) been transferred from the downstream of Orchard Road to the upstream of Orchard Road, where Tanglin Mall and Forum are located."

Mr Goh also said a communication break down made things worse.

"The flood alarm system is not working. I mean, the stakeholders have not been informed of this flood and at least, there must be some form of communication to alert stakeholders that such a flood was coming."

ORBA said it wold be meet PUB on Thursday to discuss what needs to be done to prevent the flooding of Orchard Road, an area which it said is the pride of Singapore.

-CNA/wk

Flood solutions could be "costly"
Hetty Musfirah Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: Experts said the government may have to consider expensive solutions in its review of the drainage system to tackle floods in Singapore.

They said the review must be holistic and go beyond short-term measures.

Bukit Timah road was flooded on Sunday, following heavy and intense rainfall.

But Wilby Road, where Tessarina Condominium is located, was spared of the floods.

Authorities had raised the road level of Wilby Road by almost a metre in some areas.

The project began in October last year and was completed in January this year.

The floods on Sunday were said to be the first real test of the flood preventive measure there.

Residents who had petitioned for the improvement works said they were relieved when the measures worked during Sunday's downpour.

They said the authorities had been responsive to pleas to tackle the situation.

Tessarina Condominium floods sub-committee chairperson Audrey Tan said: "Previously, when Wilby Road was still a low-lying road, whenever Bukit Timah canal burst its banks and flood water hit Bukit Timah Road, there is always the risk that the flood waters will come to Wilby Road and enter Tessarina via the ramps that lead into our basement car park.

"However, now that Wilby Road has been raised, we are free from that risk, because water remains outside, along Bukit Timah Road and Dunearn Road.

"Therefore, our basement car park was free of flood water".

Still, experts said measures such as raising road levels are just "treating the symptoms of floods".

Nanyang Technological University School of Civil & Environmental Engineering associate professor Tan Soon Keat said: "Where does the water go? The water goes to the next lower area, so it is more of shifting the locations of flooding from one place to another place".

That could be the reason other areas such as Sixth Avenue off Bukit Timah Road were said to be flooded.

Solutions may thus require heavy investments that can delay run-off and regulate peak flow, especially in built-up areas.

"For Orchard and Bukit Timah area, those built-up areas, we may have to think of more expensive solutions that means physically diverting the flow towards a storage pond somewhere else," assoc prof Tan said.

"In Orchard Road, if we need to divert flow, we have no choice; we may need to use electric power (using) pumps.

"Water will go into the canal for example, and if the canal is going to be full, then you can have a pumping system to pump the water out to another reservoir or to another storage pond.

"But where to locate those ponds is a very difficult question to (answer)."

Experts said better landscaping can help manage water flow.

Having more green features on roof-tops of buildings in Orchard Road can also help retain rainwater.

The design criteria of drains to cater for certain storm-intensity may also need to be reviewed.

This means raising design parameters to cater to a lower risk of floods - such as from a drain that can cater for a flood once in 25 years to that of once in 50 or 100 years.

In an email response, Mr Martin P Li, a past president of the Singapore Chapter of the Institution of Engineers of Australia, observed that almost anything is possible with regard to an engineering solution.

But it boils down to the issue of value.

Mr Li said the government needs to consider whether it is prudent to construct a drainage system to mitigate the effects of a once-in-25-years occurrence by raising the design parameters to accommodate a 50 or 100 years flood, or accept the consequences of the event once every 25 years.

In general, the less likelihood of the event occurring, the higher the costs of the system, he said.

-CNA/wk

A flood of ideas but cost is an issue
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Today Online 7 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE - Now that floodwaters have receded, the spotlight is on the kind of solutions needed.

While there are no shortage of ideas, the issue is one of cost. In addition, the solutions must go beyond short-term measures, said experts.

For instance, raising road levels shifts the location of flooding from "one place to another", said Nanyang Technological University's water resources engineering Associate Professor Tan Soon Keat.

There are solutions that can delay run-off and regulate peak flow in built-up areas but these are expensive. For instance, diverting the flow of water from Bukit Timah or Orchard Road to retention ponds or underground storage tanks, which can be built below nearby school fields, will "regulate" the peak flow in the drainage system, said Singapore Polytechnic's School of Architecture and the Built Environment's deputy director Daniel Tan Kim Soon.

Electric pumps could be used to pump water out of a canal and channel the excess to "another reservoir or to a storage pond", said NTU's Dr Tan.

Other suggestions include greenery on roof-tops of buildings in Orchard Road which can also help retain rainwater.

Mr Martin Li, a past president of the Singapore Chapter of the Institution of Engineers of Australia, told MediaCorp that almost any engineering solution is possible but the question was one of cost.

Said Mr Li: "As unpalatable as Sunday's flood might have been for those who were affected, the Government needs to consider whether it is prudent to construct a drainage system to mitigate the effects of a once-in-25-years occurrence by raising the design parameters ... or accept the consequences of the event once every 25 years."

The changing weather patterns also make it "challenging" to forecast an acceptable level of "risk tolerance", he said. "There is no guarantee that a once-in-150-years flood would not occur in the near future, even if our Government ensured that all our drainage systems were able to cope with a once-in-100-years flood."

NTU's structure and mechanics Associate Professor Susanto Teng said it was "timely" to revise the Building Code to make buildings more flood-proof. For instance, the "ground-level" could be raised by half-a-metre and drains could be widened and enlarged, he said.


Business body disappointed over flood measures
Too early to assess if damages will exceed last year's, say businesses & insurers
Teh Shi Ning Business Times 7 Jun 11;

THE Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) yesterday voiced disappointment with national water agency PUB's flood prevention measures and flood alarm system.

Executive director Steven Goh said it is their suspicion that measures taken in the aftermath of floods near the Scotts Road junction last year have instead diverted the problem and floodwaters to the Tanglin Road end.

Properties along that stretch - Tanglin Mall, Forum The Shopping Mall and St Regis Residences - were hardest hit by Sunday's downpour, which flooded multiple basement levels, drenching retailers' goods and parked luxury cars.

But PUB said that the Orchard Road raising project did not contribute to Sunday's floods, and that the situation would have been worse without it, given that the rainfall was more intense than it was last year. 'Water along Cuscaden Road (parallel to Tanglin Road) is designed to flow towards Orchard Road,' and not the other way around, a PUB explained yesterday.

'Flooding in the affected buildings was due to a combination of an excessive amount of rain which fell directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope,' the PUB spokesman added.

ORBA's Mr Goh said stakeholders were also disappointed that a flood alarm system, intended to warn stakeholders of any possibility of flooding, had not worked.

PUB said yesterday that Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel did actually receive alerts, but a software problem with the system - 'which will be immediately rectified' - meant that Tanglin Mall and St Regis did not.

ORBA has arranged for its stakeholders - property developers, building owners, retailers, hoteliers and restaurateurs with business interests along Orchard Road - to meet PUB officials on Thursday.

'The top-of-mind agenda is to lessen the impact of possible recurrence of floods in the coming weeks, since the authorities have said that further storms can be expected,' said Mr Goh. ORBA also wants 'the authorities' assurance that Orchard Road - as Singapore's pride and premium shopping street - does not flood again'.

On Sunday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said planning norms must be reviewed. A redesign of drainage systems and new flood-related building codes are now possibly on the cards. PUB will also conduct an 'exhaustive and comprehensive check on all flood-prone areas focusing on human safety'.

While most of Tanglin Mall resumed business yesterday, Cold Storage's Market Place supermarket - where gushing floodwaters sent false ceiling boards crashing, ruining stocks, equipment, furniture and fittings - stayed shut. Damage costs are still being assessed, said a Market Place spokesman, who added that the store would partially reopen today.

In the basement carpark of high-end St Regis Residences, meanwhile, several luxury cars including a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin, a Ferrari, a Porsche and an Alfa Romeo as well as several BMWs and Audis reportedly soaked in rainwater that was thigh-deep at some points.

Businesses and insurers say it is too early to say if damages from Sunday's floods will exceed the estimated insurance payouts of $8 million, $2.4 million and $12.5 million respectively, for the June 16, June 25 and July 17 floods last year.

General insurers told BT that they expect claims from motor insurance policyholders with cars damaged either in carparks or on flooded roads, as well as claims for property damage, to pour in over the next few days.

They say there could be a number of non-commercial property claims too, as the weekend floods also hit private residential areas in the Bukit Timah and Macpherson areas.

With additional reporting by Rebecca Liu

Software glitch led to failed flood alerts
Wayne Chan Today Online 7 Jun 11;
SINGAPORE - As retailers count the cost after a flash flood hit some parts of Orchard Road on Sunday, fingers are being pointed at PUB, the national water agency, for its failure to send out alerts to all the affected building owners as well as its work to raise portions of the road to prevent flooding.

The Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) said yesterday that it suspected that the project to raise a 1.4km stretch from Orange Grove Road to Cairnhill Road by an average 30cm - which began in mid-November and is scheduled for completion soon - had "transferred" the flooding problem to the area where buildings such as Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences are located.

The two buildings were hardest hit by the flood which was caused by two bouts of heavy rain.

The association's claim was rebutted by the PUB: The flooding would have been worse without the project, it told MediaCorp.

However, the PUB revealed that there was a software glitch in the alert system which was why the building owners of Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences were not alerted of the impending flash flood. The problem will be rectified immediately, the PUB said.

According to the PUB, all other building owners in the affected area, such as Tong Building, Delfi, Lucky Plaza and Supreme Hotel, had received the alerts.

The PUB said the flooding in the affected buildings were due to a combination of an excessive amount of rain which fell directly into the basements and the inability of the buildings' internal drainage pumps to cope.

It reiterated that Sunday's rainfall was more intense than that of June last year, with about 65mm recorded within 30 minutes, compared to the 100mm within two hours on June 16.

Expressing disappointment with the PUB, ORBA executive director Steven Goh said the measures taken following last June's flooding, such as raising the roads in the area, do not seem to have worked.

Said Mr Goh: "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." He added: "It seems like ... the problem (had) been transferred from the downstream of Orchard Road to the upstream of Orchard Road."

Mr Goh reiterated that there "must be some form of communication to alert stakeholders that such a flood was coming" at the least.

According to the PUB, the junction of Cuscaden Road and Tomlinson Road is currently being raised and the whole project is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Yesterday, water was still dripping from ceilings of some premises hit by the flood. Tanglin Mall tenants said business has fallen by as much as 80 per cent.

Home-Fix retail executive Ricky Soo said the tenants hoped to get some "goodwill" compensation.

He added: "Obviously, there's something wrong with the building, that's why all the water kept gushing in."

Mr Soo said he expects business to suffer losses for another two to three days as the cleaning up and repairs continue.

Over at the basement of Forum Shopping Mall, businesses such as California Pizza Kitchen were also hit.

The outlet's assistant manager, Mr Rodel Azarcon, said: "We were really surprised when the flood waters just came in and the whole area was flooded."

"Many of the guests left as the water started rising," he said