Emergency crews are braced for more flooding in north Queensland as a monsoon trough continues to dump extraordinary amounts of rain on the region.
Cars were washed away, people were rescued and homes were flooded on Wednesday as flash flooding hit Bluewater, north of Townsville.
Some homes there had more than a metre of water above their floorboards.
The worst of the rain was south of Townsville on Thursday. In the six hours to 9am, Major Creek recorded 193mm, with 179mm at Mt Piccaninny.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned lives could be in danger in the Mt Piccaninny area.
Forecasters say days of heavy rain lie ahead, as the trough moves slowly south. A severe weather warning remains from north of Tully to south of Townsville.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is yet to convene the state's disaster management committee but said authorities were watching water levels closely.
She said help was available for residents already hit by flooding, noting that the state had endured cyclones, raging bushfires, drought and now flooding all in the space of a few months.
But she said the rain had a sliver lining, with Townsville's dam finally full and parts of the parched west finally getting the water they so desperately need.
"It is a changing situation. We expect a lot of rain over the next seven days," she told reporters.
"Townsville hasn't seen the likes of this weather for many years ... (but) the Townsville dam is full and spilling so that's very good news."
She said communities in drought-stricken western communities were celebrating after finally getting some rain.
"It's great to see some of our western communities get the rain," she said but warned people to take extreme care especially on the roads.
Six schools remain closed in areas affected by the deluge.
Authorities were to update the premier again on Thursday afternoon.
