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  Today Online 28 Dec 06
Rain strain again: Retaining wall collapses, two families evacuated
Sheralyn Tay

Today Online 27 Dec 06
Rain again, but no flooding
Tan Hui Leng

Channel NewsAsia 26 Dec 06
Continuous rain on Tuesday but no major floods reported
By Hasnita A Majid

SINGAPORE: After a few days of sunshine and intermittent rain, the skies opened again on Monday night. And rain was almost continuous throughout Tuesday.

Although there was high tide in the late afternoon, the rain was not heavy enough to wreak havoc once again.

The Public Utilities Board said there were no reports of major floods, except for a minor localised flash flood at a short stretch of Mountbatten Road. This subsided within 30 minutes and traffic was not affected.

The rain also caused a landslide off Upper East Coast Road. Police said the landslide happened behind one of the residential units off Parbury Avenue. No one was hurt but police have cordoned off the area. The Building and Construction Authority officials are there to check if the landslide has affected the foundation of the buildings nearby.

Looking ahead, the weatherman says widespread moderate to heavy rain is expected over many parts of Singapore till 6am on Wednesday, adding that the rain is likely to be very heavy till 3am. The PUB says that flash floods may occur in low-lying areas.

A week ago, Singapore experienced its third highest recorded rainfall in the last 75 years. And Goodwood Florist was one of the businesses that were the worst hit by rising waters along Thomson Road. Situated right next to a canal, the nursery is vulnerable to flooding as it is in an area much lower than the level of the main road.

Still reeling from that episode - which costs thousands of dollars in damaged goods - the nursery could be in danger of another flooding incident, with more wet weather expected ahead.

But Goodwood Florist is not taking any chances and has come up with a back-up plan. Within the next few days, it will be building a wall to block potential flood waters. Danny Cheok, Group Managing Director of Far East Flora Holdings, said: "Now the flood water is always coming in from the back. To solve this problem... we build another retention wall at the back - over one metre high. Unless the flood is even worse, even higher than that, then it will affect us. Otherwise, it will solve our problem."

Also looking at solving the problem is the PUB, which has its officers on 24-hour duty to monitor the water levels in the canals and the reservoirs during this period. For example, PUB has opened the underwater pipes of the nearby MacRitchie Reservoir to drain off excess water into the canals and the sea so as to maintain the water level in the reservoir.

The PUB has also installed water level sensors at six canals that will trigger an electronic signal once the safe water level is breached. An SMS alert will then be sent to a PUB officer who will in turn inform residents and shopowners in the nearby areas of possible flooding. - CNA/ir

Today Online 27 Dec 06
Rain again, but no flooding
Tan Hui Leng

DESPITE continuous rain yesterday, there was no repeat of the "Thomson Tsunami" or severe flash floods that swept some low-lying areas of Singapore last Tuesday.

Only a short stretch of Mountbatten Road saw a minor flood that subsided within 30 minutes, said the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

According to the meteorological service under the National Environment Agency, the highest rainfall recorded from midnight till 4pm yesterday was 161mm in the northeast and central parts of Singapore. The wet weather is caused by the northeast monsoon, which brought about 366mm of rainfall over a 24-hour period last week, leading to waist-high floods in some areas.

At Thomson Road, where the downpour damaged properties at several nurseries last week, operators were on their guard. Ms Sharon Goh, the director of Candy Greenhouse & Flowers, kept an anxious eye on the water level of a river behind the nursery.

"If the rain continues like it is, it should be fine because the water will be carried away," she told Today. "But if there's a sudden heavy downpour, it's hard to say what will happen."

PUB is monitoring the water levels in the canals and reservoirs around the clock, and has opened the underwater pipes of MacRitchie Reservoir to drain off excess water into the canals and sea.

Water level sensors installed at six canals will trigger an electronic signal if the safe mark is breached, and the PUB will alert nearby residents and shopowners.

The wet weather is expected to continue till Friday, and the public can call 1800 284 6600 to report any floods.

Today Online 28 Dec 06
Rain strain again Retaining wall collapses, two families evacuated
Sheralyn Tay sheralyn@mediacorp.com.sg

TWO homes in Upper Serangoon Road became victims of the recent incessant downpour when a three- metre-high retaining wall collapsed yesterday, damaging a kitchen and forcing the evacuation of both families.

Calling it a "slope failure", the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) put the mishap down to the prolonged rain of the last few weeks. Water had pooled at the foot of a 40-metre slope behind the retaining wall, weakening the slope. This caused soil and vegetation to slide down onto the wall, which cracked under the pressure, collapsed and hit the kitchen of 90, Jalan Girang, damaging the ceiling and the store-room.

The unit's owner, Mr Chia Poh Cheng, said: "I had been hearing a lot of creaking noises through the night. When I woke up this morning, the first thing I saw was ... the wall had collapsed."

His family of four and their next-door neighbours were evacuated for safety reasons. The Chias said they would spend the night at a hotel. The BCA also advised the owners of a house across the road to engage a professional engineer to assess structural stability of the retaining wall near their home.

Works are underway to protect the slope with canvas. A berm, or raised barrier, will be constructed in front of the wall to stabilise it.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, MP for Marine Parade GRC, said: "We will do what we can to help the residents."

The BCA said that vulnerable sites are those with high, steep slopes and slopes where poor drainage allows water to pool and weaken the ground. The authority is monitoring the areas where slope failures have occurred, and advises home-owners to be on the lookout for signs of slope failure. If they spot any, they should stay away from the area and seek professional advice.
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