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Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jun 17, 2010
Morning after wild, wet day
<!-- by line -->By Hoe Pei Shan
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Cleaning contractors pumping out the flood water from lower levels at Liat Tower. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
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OVERTURNED tables and chairs in puddles of water, counter tops strewn with dead leaves and dirt, shelves and displays in disarray, a room left in darkness harbouring dingy dampness.
This was the scene at Liat Towers' Starbucks on Thursday morning, in the aftermath of Wednesday's big deluge in Orchard Road.
Starbucks was one of the worst-hit retailers in the area, which bore the brunt of the of the floods, turning the intersection outside Liat Towers into tea-coloured canals within three hours of Wednesday's morning downpour.
Ms Jessie Chan, supervisor of the popular coffee chain, said the clean-up would take at least two days. The knee-high floodwaters on Wednesday knocked out power, forcing contractors to work with torches in darkness through the night. At the entrance, some staff members busied themselves sorting out mugs and flasks that could be salvaged.
Said Ms Chan: 'Our priority is to take care of our staff, making sure that no one's job is affected. We have already dispersed them among the other Starbucks outlets along Orchard Road.'
Next door, brand new fast-food outlet Wendy's was now bare, with furniture removed and workers busily mopping up water. Massimo Dutti was boarded up, with a pile of damaged wooden furnishings at its doors. At Hermes, the other Liat Towers' retailer that was badly hit, contractors were hanging up tarp around now-empty glass shelves, save for two fake display bags in the store's front. Private company Disaster Restorations, was called in to help speed up the repair work.
Further down Orchard Road, it was almost business as usual for most of the retailers at Lucky Plaza, who were also severely affected by Wednesday's flooding. At MacDonald's, a customer having breakfast with his two young children, was astounded when told by The Straits Times that water had filled the very seat he was in just a day before.
"I was aware of the flooding but didn't know this Macs outlet had been hit --- I can't even tell, it looks like it does usually," said Mr Loo, a 33-year-old delivery man.
Only Bossini and Watsons remained closed, but both outlets said they were doing their best to get back as soon as possible.
There was still the usual Orchard Road shopping crowd who seemed almost oblivious to the chaotic scene just a day earlier. They were more interested in grabbing the best bargains from the Great Singapore Sales now on.
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Jun 17, 2010
Morning after wild, wet day
<!-- by line -->By Hoe Pei Shan
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->
<!-- story content : start -->
OVERTURNED tables and chairs in puddles of water, counter tops strewn with dead leaves and dirt, shelves and displays in disarray, a room left in darkness harbouring dingy dampness.
This was the scene at Liat Towers' Starbucks on Thursday morning, in the aftermath of Wednesday's big deluge in Orchard Road.
Starbucks was one of the worst-hit retailers in the area, which bore the brunt of the of the floods, turning the intersection outside Liat Towers into tea-coloured canals within three hours of Wednesday's morning downpour.
Ms Jessie Chan, supervisor of the popular coffee chain, said the clean-up would take at least two days. The knee-high floodwaters on Wednesday knocked out power, forcing contractors to work with torches in darkness through the night. At the entrance, some staff members busied themselves sorting out mugs and flasks that could be salvaged.
Said Ms Chan: 'Our priority is to take care of our staff, making sure that no one's job is affected. We have already dispersed them among the other Starbucks outlets along Orchard Road.'
Next door, brand new fast-food outlet Wendy's was now bare, with furniture removed and workers busily mopping up water. Massimo Dutti was boarded up, with a pile of damaged wooden furnishings at its doors. At Hermes, the other Liat Towers' retailer that was badly hit, contractors were hanging up tarp around now-empty glass shelves, save for two fake display bags in the store's front. Private company Disaster Restorations, was called in to help speed up the repair work.
Further down Orchard Road, it was almost business as usual for most of the retailers at Lucky Plaza, who were also severely affected by Wednesday's flooding. At MacDonald's, a customer having breakfast with his two young children, was astounded when told by The Straits Times that water had filled the very seat he was in just a day before.
"I was aware of the flooding but didn't know this Macs outlet had been hit --- I can't even tell, it looks like it does usually," said Mr Loo, a 33-year-old delivery man.
Only Bossini and Watsons remained closed, but both outlets said they were doing their best to get back as soon as possible.
There was still the usual Orchard Road shopping crowd who seemed almost oblivious to the chaotic scene just a day earlier. They were more interested in grabbing the best bargains from the Great Singapore Sales now on.
Click here for more photo galleries
<CENTER>CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE: </CENTER>
<SCRIPT language=javascript type=text/javascript src="http://media.straitstimes.com/stlytebox/_lytebox/lytebox.js"></SCRIPT><LINK rel=stylesheet type=text/css href="http://media.straitstimes.com/stlytebox/_lytebox/lytebox.css" media=screen>
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