When Buying Properties, Avoid Flood-Prone Areas

If you are still considering buying properties despite this advice, and both HDB prices and private residential prices at historical high, you have to take note of the flooding factor. Ditto if you are renting a place.

Regular flooding is a recent phenomenon in Singapore. After the completion of the marina barrage, which “helped to prevent flooding“, there have been several flash floods in Singapore that caused huge inconvenience and much property damage.

Notably, the basement carparks of at least 2 upmarket condos in Bukit Timah area were completely flooded, destroying the cars that were parked there. I’m not sure if insurance will reimburse those car owners. I remember that immediately after the first serious flash flood (Orchard Road), NTUC Income advertised that it will make good on claims related to flooding (or something to this effect). I have not seen any more such ad after the 2nd and 3rd flash floods (correct me if I’m wrong).

Besides Bukit Timah and Orchard Road, other noteworthy flood-prone areas include Dunearn Road, Thomson Road and Newton area.

Both PM Lee and MM Lee have come out to say that it is impossible to keep Singapore flood-free.

So, brace yourself for future floods.

The PUB has a list of 52 flood-prone zones in Singapore which the Straits Times converted into graphics form:

1. Admiralty Road West near Sembawang Shipyard
2. Alexandra Road/ Jervois Road/ Bishopsgate Road
3. Amber Road/ East Coast Road
4. Beach Road (Central Police Division’s Staff Quarters and St John’s Headquarters)
5. Bedok South Road
6. Benoi Sector
7. Bukit Timah Rd/Wilby Road
8. Cantonment Link/ Keppel Road
9. Chin Cheng Ave
10. Clover Park Estate (near the playground)
11. Commonwealth Ave/ Commonwealth Drive/ Queensway
12. CTE near Slip Road to Moulmein Road
13. Delta Road/ River Valley Road/ Delta Avenue
14. Farnborough Road
15. Farrer Park Area (includes Thomson Road/ Derbyshire Road)
16. First Lok Yang Road / International Road/ Benoi Road
17. Frankel Avenue/ Siglap Plain/ La Salle Street
18. Hong Kah Area
19. Indus Road
20. Jalan Besar Area
21. Jalan Haji Alias/ Coronation Road West
22. Jalan Mashor
23. Jalan Mat Jambol
24. Jalan Seaview
25. Jalan Ulu Seletar
26. Jurong Port Road
27. Kim Tian Road/ Tiong Bahru Road
28. King George’s Avenue (People’s Association HQ)
29. Langsat Road Area
30. Leng Kee Road
31. Buangkok
32. Lorong Chuan (St Gabriel’s Primary School)
33. Lorong H Telok Kurau
34. Lower Delta Road/ Alexandra Road
35. Lowland Road
36. Margaret Drive/ Tanglin Road
37. Marymount Lane/ Marymount Road
38. Meng Suan Road
39. Mountbatten Road/ Meyer Road/ Fort Road/ Arthur Road/ Margate Road/ Ramsgate Road/ Rose Lane/ Dunman Road Area
40. Nee Soon Road
41. Neo Pee Teck Lane
42. Newton Road/ Lincoln Road/ Surrey Road
43. Old Lim Chu Kang Road/Jalan Murai
44. Puay Hee Avenue
45. Second Chin Bee Road
46. Service Road off Tampines Road (near Jalan Teliti)
47. Stevens Road/ Balmoral Road
48. Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre off Beatty Road
49. Upper East Coast Road/ Bayshore Road
50. Upper Hokkien Street/ Upper Pickering Street/ South Bridge Road/ Spring Street/ Sago Lane
51. Viking Road
52. Waterloo Street/ Albert Street/ Bencoolen Street/ Prinsep Street