The Diep River in Table View burst its banks following two days of heavy rainfall, causing flooding in surrounding areas including Hopley Road and Gill Road, where residents were urged to exercise caution and avoid affected sections.
Speaking from Hopley Road this morning (Wednesday 13 May), ward councillor Sue van der Linde confirmed that the river had reached its peak in the early hours before beginning to slowly recede.
“Behind me you can see the Diep River which has now burst its banks,” she said. “Quite expected after the amount of rain that we just had for the last two days, and obviously all the water that has been falling further up has now washed into the river.”
She explained that tidal conditions had contributed to the severity of the flooding overnight.
“We reached a peak at about 02:00 this morning where the river was really high,” van der Linde said. “As the high tide, came in just after midnight it pushed back up and we had a very high level, but we’re now on low tide so it has dropped again.”
Despite the improvement in water levels, she warned that the river was still flowing strongly and required caution from residents.
“You can see that it’s flowing quite strongly and it’s our hope that hopefully no more rain is added to it and it can actually clear itself,” she said.
Residents urged to avoid Hopley Road
Van der Linde urged motorists and pedestrians to stay away from Hopley Road due to ongoing safety risks.
“Where I’m standing is Hopley Road in Table View. We are advising everybody obviously not to come down Hopley,” she said.
She added that emergency access arrangements had been made for residents in nearby complexes.
“The exit on Blaauwberg Road for Heron Waters is open, the emergency exit,” she said. “All of the residents inside of the complex can enter and come back in safely.”
However, she warned motorists to remain alert in the area. “Please be aware when you’re on Blaauwberg Road, you will have cars coming out of that exit and entrance. So give way, let them come in safely.”
Gill Road also affected by flooding
Van der Linde later confirmed that flooding had also occurred on Gill Road near a popular local restaurant, though the building itself was not affected.
She said the restaurant infrastructure remained safe but urged visitors to avoid parking in the affected area.
“I have checked that the building is not affected at all, it’s just this part of the road,” she said. “So please people, if you’re coming down to Macpherson’s, do avoid this area, do not try and park this far.”
She added that the overflowing river system was visible nearby. “The sun is out, the river is flowing, and if you are there, you’ll see how full the pan actually is, that’s the overflow from the river.”
Monitoring and response continues
Van der Linde said she would continue assessing affected areas throughout the day but noted that conditions appeared improved compared to previous major flooding events.
“It looks like this is the worst that we’ve had compared to 2024. It’s quite an improvement,” she said.
She also praised municipal infrastructure teams for their preventative work ahead of the storm.
“I’d like to thank the roads infrastructure management department, our RIM department, for all the work they did with cleaning out our storm drains prior to this terrible weather,” she said. “It really has made a huge difference.”
Residents have been urged to report any emergencies or storm-related issues to the councillor’s office as monitoring continues.
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