Orchard Road Flooding

Flash floods caused by heavy downpour on Wednesday morning wreaked havoc on many parts of central Singapore, flooding basement carparks and shops.

The worst-hit area was the Orchard Road. Shops affected reported goods destroyed by floodwaters. Cars stalled in the rising floodwaters, stranding motorists. Passengers were also reported to be stuck in buses in areas where traffic was impassable. Traffic lights were out at some inter-sections.

A tree fell near the Buyong Road exit of the Central Expressway Tunnel, blocking traffic across three lanes.

This only goes to show that even in modern day Singapore, such "freak" incidents do occur. The authorities are doing their best to prevent such events from happening but the fact remains that nature is unpredictable.

It is a timely reminder that protection against risk in the form of risk transfer is crucial to minimize the consequences when such an unfortunate event occurs.