The entire population of the remote Queensland town of Thargomindah have fled for higher ground after floodwaters twice the size of Victoria caused havoc.
The 220 residents of the southwest Queensland community headed for higher ground at the Thargomindah airport on Monday night after floodwaters exceeded the local record of 6.78m.
Some slept in their cars, others in campervans after the nearby levee broke its banks.
"Sections of the levee bank had dropped off here and there the last couple of days — there was just too much water coming through," local Nancy Sparks said.
By Tuesday evening water levels were 7.5m and rising.
"I think it is starting to peak, it is still rising in town," Bulloo Shire Mayor John Ferguson said.
"But I hope we are just about through the worst of it."
More than 100,000 livestock lost
Floodwaters twice the size of Victoria have impacted western and southern inland Queensland, with no relief in sight.
Locals have been warned that water levels could rise again with the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Dianne bringing more rain.
The heaviest falls are set to hit southern Queensland and northern NSW on Wednesday, with totals exceeding 100mm in some areas.
More rain will ensure further hardship for graziers, sparking fears some will lose all of their stock.
Residents in the small town of Adavale in western Queensland were evacuated on Thursday amid rising floodwaters. Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed / AAP
The army is helping with supplies to keep livestock fed but more than 100,000 sheep and cattle are already believed to have been lost.
The extent of the damage won't be known until the flooding eases, which could take weeks.
"The level of devastation is immeasurable," Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said.
Communities to be isolated for weeks
Major flood warnings have been issued from the Northern Territory border, through central and southern inland Queensland and down to NSW.
Communities are expected to be isolated for more than two months in NSW after more rain hits.
"The significant rainfall in Queensland is slowly making its way through the catchment and moving through western NSW," NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing told reporters.
"We are talking of isolation potentially for six to 10 weeks for some of those communities."
"Flooding continues to be extremely significant for central and western Queensland and it will be for days and weeks to come," senior meteorologist Angus Hines said on Tuesday.
"Some of the floodwaters are even moving across state borders now into the eastern Northern Territory and northern parts of New South Wales."
The rainfall is expected to ease over these areas by Wednesday evening.
