28-11-2023 (SINGAPORE) The skies over Singapore have opened up in recent days, fulfilling the predictions of local weather services. However, the afternoon rain on 28th November proved to be more than just a passing shower, as it unleashed a flash flood upon the unsuspecting neighbourhood of Boon Lay.
Videos circulating on social media depict the muddy waters nearly swallowing bus stops, with cars valiantly navigating through the elevated water levels. One unfortunate taxi found itself stranded in the deluge, highlighting the severity of the flash flood.
The PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, promptly issued flash flood alerts, cautioning the public to steer clear of specific locations impacted by the sudden inundation.
On the evening of Tuesday, 28th Nov, a TikTok user with the handle @dm_ainz shared a video captured from within his vehicle, showcasing a visibly flooded Boon Lay Avenue. The footage revealed a TransCab taxi trapped in the water near the entrance to River Valley High School, with a concerned individual holding a blue umbrella—presumably the taxi driver.
In another video, Facebook user Hong Youlong (洪友龙) provided a perspective from a bus stop across the road. The anonymous individual, seemingly on a bicycle, found themselves partially submerged in brown, debris-laden waters. The video captured the water level almost reaching the bus stop benches, prompting the person recording to express frustration at the challenging conditions.
The cyclist’s lens also caught the stranded red taxi on the opposite side of the road, as well as numerous vehicles navigating through the floodwaters at a painstakingly slow pace. The water nearly obscured the headlights of one car, and waves generated by passing vehicles splashed onto the bus stop and the cyclist behind the camera.
Another video, shared by Facebook user Long Zaiman Othman, mirrored the same challenging conditions along Boon Lay Avenue, with vehicles making a slow and cautious journey through the submerged streets.
Throughout the evening, the PUB’s Twitter account actively updated the public on the evolving flooding situation, advising avoidance of several at-risk locations, including Boon Lay Walk, Clementi Road, Yuan Ching Road, and Jalan Boon Lay.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the PUB announced around 4.03 pm that the flood had subsided. The agency assured that officers were deployed to the affected areas for assistance. As of the latest update, information regarding the stranded taxi driver remains unavailable.
