Queensland's cyclone emergency is far from over as a rescue operation continues near Mackay and the state's southeast faces flash flooding, the premier says.
Annastacia Palaszczuk was heading back to Brisbane on Thursday after visiting areas hit by the category four Cyclone Debbie earlier this week.
She will attend emergency meetings about the crisis that's forced the closure of every single school in the Queensland's southeast corner.
The government made the call early on Thursday after hearing the rain depression that used to be Cyclone Debbie could dump about a month's worth of rain over the region in the next 24 hours.
Damaging winds gusting to 90km/h, and possibly as high as 125km/h, are also expected on Thursday, and into Friday before the system moves offshore.
"Everyone thinks because the cyclone has now been downgraded to a low pressure system, that everything's OK," Ms Palaszczuk told Nine Network.
"This is the time where we can see maximum damage and also loss to human life."
People must stay off the roads and limit travel to essential journeys.
Ms Palaszczuk said the rescue and recovery effort was rolling on in the north, despite horrendous weather conditions.
"We've had swift rescues overnight. Swift water rescues overnight around the Mackay region," she said.
Ms Palaszczuk on Thursday toured Proserpine, which suffered severe damage and was cut off.
"I have never seen so much water. The town was virtually surrounded by a lake. There was water everywhere. And I'm really concerned if we continue to see more rain, it's going to hamper operations. It was very difficult for us to even get in there yesterday."
There are now serious concerns for people trapped at Eton, in the Pioneer Valley, near Mackay.
Some were rescued overnight and efforts will continue on Thursday to get people out of homes surrounded by flood waters.
It's believed 20 to 30 people could be trapped.
Very heavy rain in the area is hampering the mission and communications are poor.
Meanwhile, emergency crews are having difficulty getting supplies to stricken coastal communities.
"We are really concerned ... there was such strong winds yesterday. We just cannot physically get people into these areas," the premier said.
"Around the Airlie Beach area, some of the islands, Proserpine, Mackay, look, we are doing everything we possibly can. As soon as we can get defence force personnel in, we will."
Hundreds of tourists and staff still stranded on island in Whitsunday are expected to be brought back to the mainland on Thursday.
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