Queensland’s big wet is far from over, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying the enormity of what people had been through would now begin to hit them.

February 6, 2019

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says residents in flood-ravaged north Queensland are resilient but have an emotional few months of recovery ahead.

As the flood crisis enters its 12th day, floodwaters are slowly starting to recede in Townsville, but much of the state’s north is still under threat.

Ms Palaszczuk described the once-in-a-century big wet weather event that killed two men and forced thousands from their homes as “phenomenal” and “unprecedented”.

She said north Queenslanders were resilient but the enormity of what they’d been through would soon hit.

“They’re going to feel it now. Not just for the days and weeks ahead – it’s going to be months and years,” she said.

“To go back into your home and to have lost things and having to rebuild … is going to be very hard for many people to take on.”

“There are a lot of isolated communities in our state at the moment (and) we are doing everything we can to get food supplies to you,” she said.

In Townsville where 2000 homes were inundated by floodwater and 10,000 more are expected to have been damaged. Assessments to date have found 67 have moderate and 15 severe damage.

Three 300 people remain in evacuation centres and 9000 people remain without power.

But schools and businesses are reopening just days after people were being rescued from inundated homes and waterways.

More than 13,000 applications for flood recovery payments have been received and $1.2 million paid out.

The Insurance Council of Australia says it has received 6525 claims worth $80 million, with the damage bill expected to be more than $1 billion.

Elsewhere in north Queensland, communities near Giru, Richmond, Halifax, Charter Towers, Hughenden and Julia Creek remain isolated by floodwaters.

The state government has kicked off a flood appeal with a donation of $200,000, and The Queen has also sent a message of support.

Earlier, the federal government relaxed the rules on who can access disaster funding following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s tour of flood-struck Townsville on Tuesday.

On the ground, many people have begun the clean-up, sifting through muddy possessions as the rain continues to fall.

The monsoonal trough is expected to bring further heavy rain between Palm Island and Mackay on Wednesday but is expected to move offshore by Friday.

Major flood warnings also remain in place for the Herbert, Haughton, Upper Burdekin, Flinders, Cloncurry and Leichhardt rivers.

The vigorous weather system has also generated floods out west, with farmers reporting livestock and crop losses.