Queensland towns cut off, residents evacuated

Residents are on evacuation alert across several rural Queensland towns cut off by near record-breaking flood levels, as torrential rain continues to lash the north eastern Australian state.

The statewide damage bill has passed more than $US600 million and many flood-affected residents believe the worst is still to come.

The weather bureau says the areas at greatest risk in the next 24 hours are in the state's south at Chinchilla, Dalby, Warwick, and further north at Theodore and Rockhampton in central Queensland.

Authorities have been surprised by the rapid rise of floodwaters at Dalby on the Western Darling Downs, while further west homes and businesses in Chinchilla have water at roof level.

Floodwater has inundated much of the small town of Theodore, where the Dawson River has passed the 1956 record of 14.07 metres.

The State Emergency Service (SES) says it received 1,800 call-outs across the state on Monday.

In Chinchilla, Charleys Creek is expected to peak at 7 metres or above late Monday night and into Tuesday, almost 50 centimetres higher than the 1983 flood.

Local councillor Bill McCutcheon says residents began moving to higher ground on Monday afternoon.

"We're in totally unchartered territory," he said.

"The Bureau of Meteorology can give us no indication of what the peak might be.

"The message we're getting from upstream is that all the streams up in the headwaters are still rising, which is very alarming for us.

"There's an enormous amount of water still to come down. This flood in Chinchilla won't last hours, it'll go for days."

Officials in Dalby are asking residents to consider evacuating as Myall Creek rises rapidly.

The creek was expected to peak at 3 metres but could now reach 4 metres around midnight (AEDT) Monday, causing the inundation of some homes.

About 20 people have already left their homes.

Western Downs Deputy Mayor Mick Cosgrove says emergency services have set up evacuation centres at Dalby South State School and the showgrounds.

"At the moment the big problem area was on the Toowoomba [eastern] side of Myall Creek - that's where people are getting evacuated from - but now there's a lot of water coming in on the northern side," he said.

Weather bureau spokesman Peter Baddiley says Warwick is also at risk.

"We're predicting it will possibly go through to 8 metres around midnight and that's certainly been as high as 1976 when it starts to get into town," he said.

Locals moving

About half the homes in Theodore, south-west of Rockhampton, have been affected by rising waters with many locals moving.

Dr Bruce Chater says water is running through the town's only surgery and many residents in low-lying areas have moved to higher ground.

"Some people have got out to Cracow and the mines have offered their quarters out there," he said.

"We're having a bit of trouble in that helicopters can't come in because of the weather.

"We were hoping to get our hostel patients - we've got three aged care patients at the moment - we were hoping to get them out, but the chopper couldn't come this afternoon."

Dr Chatter says a torrent is rushing through his surgery.

"I think we've all reached a kind of resignation at the moment... where we're just saying, 'well, the water is coming through, we'll do the best we can with it'," he said.

"Most of us have gas bottles and cookers out and those sort of things and we'll sit it out and see how we go."

Packing up

Meanwhile two property owners near Injune are preparing to spend the night on their roof if the Dawson River continues to rise.

Liz Radel says the river has surrounded her home and is rising slowly.

Ms Radel says she has packed up the lower level of the house and will be watching the river closely tonight.

"We should be able to get up and over to our shed and we've got a good light that'll show us the way and we have our truck parked there," she said.

"If necessary we can go over and set ourselves up in the truck, which will probably be more comfortable than the roof."

Disaster relief and recovery arrangements have been extended to another three local government areas in Queensland.

The Cassowary Coast, Cairns and Tablelands Regional Council in the far north are now eligible for assistance - bringing the state total to 31 local councils. (From ABC News)