flooding: past and present

in my younger days, when it flooded, we accepted it as something natural. it was bound to happen, especially during the north-east monsoon season. in fact, we, the children, would all be looking forward for it to happen. during the monsoon season especially, when it poured continuously for at least half an hour, we would be looking out for all the tell-tale signs.

first, the colour of the running water in the drains would change to that of 'kopi susu'. then the low-lying area would start to fill up quickly as the water level could be seen creeping up by the minute. the water from the smaller drains would all be rushing to dump into the big drain that ran through the heart of the kampong.

when the rain had stopped, it seemed like the whole kampong, especially the men folks, would be out in full force to survey the situation. the younger ones would be enjoying themselves splashing water at one another or just wading or trying to swim in the water.

i wonder what youngsters think of when it rains and floods these days. in those bygone days, a flood meant swimming for free. the field, the drain, the road and sometimes the house became a playground, a swimming pool.

and we never thought of blaming anyone for the floods.

these days when it floods, it makes the news. people perceive it as something that is out of the ordinary; something that should not have happened at all. that is why they call it a flash flood.

i think something like a flood, which is a natural occurence, is sometimes beyond the control of us humans.

a flood is no more thought of as fun. i do not see children swimming in the flooded field or even wading in the water.

people start blaming the authorities for not being able to prevent flooding. however, we do have the right to get upset if they build a big dam and tell us that it will help to regulate the flow, thus giving the impression that flooding should be a thing of the past.

those days when floods were more common

this picture - from the national archives of singapore - really transports me back to the days where floods was something we had to live with year in and year out. we were quite ambivalent about it because on one hand, we could have fun playing in the rain and with the water but on the other hand, we had to lend a helping hand when it came to clearing up the mess after the deluge.

i like sharing my experiences from the past so as to give the younger generation a glimpse of how life was like in the 60s. floods visited us a few times every year, especially during the north-east monsoon season, when we lived in a kampong more than 30 years ago.

when it rained heavily and for sometime, we would be prepared for the milk-tea (teh susu) colour flood water entering our homes. the drains would overflow first and when the water level rose above the threshold, water would get into the house. initially, we would try to fight the 'tide' by using used cloths and old towels to build 'embankment' and to seal up the entry points but once the water entered the house, we would just be resigned to cleaning up after the water had receded.

from experience, we would make only feeble attempts to stop the water from making its way into the inside of our homes. it would be an exercise in futility. because there was no way we could seal all the gaps and points of entry. we just had to wait for the rain to stop and the water to subside, then we would get out our scoops and pails to bail out the water.

when flooding was severe, a lot of things would be carried away. the wooden planks that we had placed across the drain and things that were not anchored would be swept 'downstream'. your shoes, slippers and char kia (clogs) must be placed at places where the water could not reach. even the heavy buckets with human excreta from the common latrines would be carried away.

those crawly creatures whose homes had been disturbed would make their appearances. cockcroaches and centipedes could be seen on the walls and in areas not covered by water.

after the rain, children would be out of their homes to wade in the flood water. it was, however, a dangerous time to move around. no, not because of the creatures. the drains would be covered by the flood water and you would not know where the edges of the drains were. some could slip into the drain. once i had to drag to safety a smaller boy who had fallen into the swollen drain.

floods in the those days were usually blamed on the poor drainage system and heavy downpour coinciding with the high incoming tide.

when we moved into high-rise housing and development board (hdb) flats, the threat from overflowing drains just simply ebbed away.