In the 1960s and 1970s, Singapore experienced wide-spread flooding during the monsoon seasons, especially in the city centre, which was built on relatively low-lying land.
Today, Singapore is relieved of prolonged floods. Flood-prone areas, which are low-lying areas with a history of flooding, have been reduced significantly from about 3,200 hectares in the 1970s to 30.5 hectares in 2016 despite increased urbanisation. Most times, our drains are able to cope with the rain that we receive. However, extremely heavy rainfall can sometimes exceed the capacity that the drains are designed for. That is when flash floods – small and localised floods that come and go relatively quickly – may occur.
