eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has warned motorists and community members not to use roads affected by heavy flooding.
During a media briefing on April 12, he also urged residents to evacuate their homes if the structure was unstable.
Kaunda defended the municipality’s maintenance of its infrastructure, saying many of the emergency incidents were a result of landslides and flooding that was not linked to the city's drainage systems.
He was unable to quantify the cost, thus far, of damage to infrastructure in the municipality.
Several water supply lines had also been affected. Land fields, water treatment plants and bulk pipes have also been severely damaged. The flood also resulted in damage to roads and knocked out electricity supply to several parts of the city.
“The infrastructure team is out rectifying the damage and work is under way to reconnect services," he said.
Meanwhile, water utility Umgeni Water will release water from the Hazelmere dam, which is located to the north of Durban.
The dam level had increased to above 65% but will be reduced to 53% to ensure ongoing work to raise the dam wall can continue.