Floodwaters that have swamped parts of Rockhampton are expected to slowly ease during the weekend, clearing the way for recovery crews to start the clean-up.
The Fitzroy River reached a height of 8.9 metres in the central Queensland city early on Friday morning, just shy of the nine metres predicted by the weather bureau.
Forecasters expect the river level to remain above the major flood level of 8.5m for much of Saturday.
More than 200 homes have water over the floorboards and about 3000 homes and businesses have been cut off.
Rockhampton mayor Margaret Strelow said residents weathered the disaster well, with most choosing to stay in their homes and only 22 people going to the evacuation centre on Thursday night.
There had only been one call to SES for assistance during the entire event to Friday - a case of a young girl who had spilled hot water on herself.
SES crews flew a helicopter to a woman who they thought was signalling to them but it turned out she had been feeding her chickens on the roof of her house.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the response to the disaster was remarkable.
"I think it's been the most collegiate and team effort of an operation like this that I've ever seen in my career at this level," he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pressured the federal government to match her commitment to fund flood levees, calling the proposal a "no-brainer".
