Rebuilding efforts will start from scratch after heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides again ravaged the coast at the weekend.

It was all hands on deck as emergency rescue services – and even the South African Defence Force (SANDF) – were deployed in Tongaat, Westbrook and Umdloti.

Ballito National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) station commander, Quentin Power, said 30 people were rescued in Westbrook and Umdloti.

“We got the first call out to Westbrook at around 4.45pm on Saturday,” he said, noting they had to evacuate a household at Flatcrown Road where the house was on the verge of collapse.

The Community Emergency Response Team, SANDF and NSRI also evacuated oThongathi Retirement Village’s 40 residents.

Further towards the coast, Westbrook Retirement Village residents also had to be taken to safety when their homes flooded.

A 76-year-old resident, Duncan Skewis, said at one stage the water and mud reached windowsill level.

Residents at the home were still reeling from the damages caused to their properties during last month’s floods. Hugh Roomer (77) and Errol (80) and Audrey (71) Sampson respectively incurred damages of R80 000 and R23 000.

Their properties had again been flooded, covered in mud and furniture ruined over the weekend.

On the M4 four motorists were trapped near Seatides when mud covered the freeway. Power said the motorists were stuck up to wheel height. A resident used his tractor to tow them to safety.

Portions of the M4 later collapsed between the Casuarina Beach circle and Desainagar, while the Umdloti and Tongaat River bridges have remain closed since April’s floods.

Portions of Genezzano Road in Seatides also collapsed, as well as on the corner of Genezzano and Tunny Road.

Around 7.45pm on Saturday, Umdloti’s beachfront was first assessed. The area again fell victim to mudslides and major flooding.

Thirty people were evacuated between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

“We had a better idea of what to expect following the April floods,” Power said.

On Sunday residents of the Lazy Lizard along North Beach Road were evacuated by abseiling them down the face of the building.

eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda visited Umdloti Beach, inspecting water and road infrastructure on Sunday afternoon where the Umdloti water works had been washed away.

“We had to prioritise visiting Umdloti given the severity of the damage. Our water treatment plant has been damaged and this will affect our ability to provide water to residents. I call upon residents to be patient as we work speedily to restore services,” he said.

Relief efforts are ongoing at the 82 community care centres housing the displaced.

Mayor Kaunda further expressed his sadness at the presumed drowning of two municipal employees who had gone missing at Osindisweni, inland from Mount Moreland.

“I would like to ensure their families our search and rescue teams have been looking for them,” he said, noting that strong currents forced efforts to be aborted on Monday. The search resumed by air on Tuesday without success.

The vehicle the employees used was found abandoned at a river in Osindisweni.

KZN premier Sihle Zikalala, said about 250 people were evacuated from the Tongaat and Tehuise care centres.

The South African Sugarcane Research Institute reports the lower North Coast measured 265.9mm of rainfall between Saturday and Monday. During the same period last year only 6.2mm were recorded.

The rainfall measured on April 11-13 came to 308.1mm, compared to no rain last year.

May rainfall this year to date was 282.6mm compared to May last year’s 27.1mm. Last month’s total was 478.4mm compared to April last year’s 118.2mm.