It was thigh-high in a flash

It was thigh-high in a flash

It started off like any Sunday afternoon as tyre shop owner Andy Ng prepared for the afternoon rush.

The 34-year-old had just finished a late lunch at about 3pm when it started to rain.

The next thing he knew, the canal beside his Paya Lebar workshop was overflowing and the roads surrounding his workshop were covered in thigh-high murky water.

"It was very dangerous because you couldn't see where the road was and where the drain started. So I asked one of my workers to go out and turn traffic back," he said.

The weather also meant he had to close for the afternoon, which would cost him nearly $10,000 in business.

"We have no choice. Sundays are usually one of the best days of the week, but it's too dangerous for people to drive through the water," he said.

"I'd rather we close for the afternoon than to risk any accidents or damaged cars because of the flood."

About 500m away, at Arumugam Road, one lorry driver wasn't quite so fortunate. Mr Choo Kim Chwee, 51, was driving his lorry out of the Cheng Hong Siang Tng temple at about 5pm when it suddenly ground to a halt.

"I was busy talking to my brother and I didn't notice the puddle of water in front," he said in Mandarin. But he had a shock when he got out to check on the lorry.

The water was knee-high and some of it had gone into the engine, which meant he was stranded.

He eventually waited an hour inside his lorry for the flood to subside before he could try to restart his lorry.

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'WORST FLOOD'

"It was fortunate that I know some basic maintenance, so I knew what to do to restart my lorry," he said.

"But in more than 20 years of driving, this is the worst flood I've ever seen."

The PUB said that 77mm of rainfall was recorded on Sunday. In October, Singapore receives about 193mm of rainfall.

The national water agency said that floods were reported in seven places, in the eastern and central parts of Singapore.

It said that parts of Paya Lebar and Eunos were affected because the Geylang River, which runs through those areas, was flowing full during the storm.

Upgrading works done on the river are expected to finish at the end of next year.

As for the Thomson Road area, which was also affected, detailed design for the improvement works will start next year.

The PUB reminded everyone to exercise caution during heavy storms as there may be flash floods. lawsm@sph.com.sg


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