PUB has purchased 20 pieces of a new flood protection device called "Floodgate".

It is a barrier made of high strength steel frames wrapped in a waterproof rubber sleeve. The floodgate is intended to be installed at doorways or entrances of residential and industrial premises to prevent water from entering.

One barrier can hold back floodwaters up to 68cm in height.

These barriers are portable and can be easily deployed by individuals. The Floodgate can be used for wider openings by linking a few together to create longer sections.

According to a statement by PUB, 15 of the 20 pieces are currently on loan to residents at Upper Paya Lebar Road for performance testing and validation.

The floodgate is just one of the portable flood protection devices introduced by PUB in 2020.

PUB also uses the "Dam Easy Flood Panels" (DFPs) and the "Portable Flood Barriers" (PFBs) to help homes and shophouses in flood-prone and low-lying areas protect against flash floods.

PUB added that they have loaned out 65 pieces of DFPs and 155 pieces of PFBs to date.

Heavier rain this year

Singapore has seen quite a few downpours leading to floods this past year.

According to PUB, the prevailing wet phase of the Northeast Monsoon is expected to persist for another month or so.

PUB added: "Flash floods may occur if the rainstorms temporarily overwhelm the capacity of our drainage system, especially in low-lying areas that are more prone to flooding."

The most recent flash flood happened near Aljunied Road on Nov. 7, when heavy rain overwhelmed the roadside drains, causing runoff to accumulate on the road for 20 minutes.

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore, the highest daily total rainfall collected that day was 100.2mm at Tanjong Katong.

At the time of writing, some parts of Singapore has seen rainfall of up to 170.6mm since midnight.

Better stay indoors today.

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Top image from PUB Facebook.