Stories of heroic rescues – and a croc in the middle of town – have emerged from far north Queensland where some people endured “two or three nights” on their roof when the region was caught unaware by flooding rain.

Locals were unprepared when rivers rapidly swelled and cut off towns over the weekend and into Monday, forcing people to cling to trees or scramble to high ground.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles defended the weather bureau as questions were asked about the accuracy of warnings as ex-cyclone Jasper hovered over the north.

Miles said the scale of the weather event was unprecedented.

“I think the bureau gave all the notice and warning they could based on the information that was available to them,” he said on Monday.

“It couldn’t be predicted based on their observations and systems just how much rain would fall. They do the best that they can.

“It was anticipated that the rainfall would track the cyclone across the Cape – that’s not what we’ve seen.”

“There’s a lot about this weather event that is unusual and has never been seen before.

“There’ll probably be at some point in the future where we can talk about what’s driving those kinds of changes in weather patterns.”

In many communities, locals had to rescue one another as the devastating weather event rapidly deteriorated.

In the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal, one man used a fishing boat to save eight people on Monday. Another used a mustering helicopter to save 15 people from the rooftop of the Lion’s Den Hotel near Cooktown.

“The den got inundated with flood waters and everyone escaped to the roof,” the hotel posted on Facebook.

“A wonderful life saver from Lakeland came with his helicopter and got everyone out.

“Very wet and shaken but safe.”

Five people – including two children – were rescued at Mount Molloy after spending the night on their roof.

Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said some residents of Wujal Wujal were on their own for days before help arrived.

“Some of those poor people have been on the roof of their houses for two or three nights with no power, no communication, no food probably,” he said.

About 16 people – including a seven-year-old boy at Wujal Wujal hospital – were stuck on rooftops before getting to higher ground on Monday.

Nine people remained on top of houses at nearby Degarra and Bloomfield.

In Ingham, wildlife rangers captured a 2.5-metre saltwater crocodile from a swollen creek in the town.

A group rescued from The Lion’s Den Hotel near Cooktown. Photo: Facebook

The Australian Defence Force has sent about 150 personnel, equipment and four aircraft north to help, with communities isolated from Cooktown to Innisfail and more than 13,000 people without power.

There were about 300 rescues while another 200 self-evacuated north of Cairns overnight with assistance from the HMAS Cairns naval base.

More than 100 people remain in evacuation centres.

Records smashed

The region has been inundated with showers from a trough associated with ex-tropical cyclone Jasper which is lingering on the Cape York peninsula’s west coast.

Dozens of December daily rainfall records have been broken in the far north including in Cairns, which received the most rain since 1964, and Cooktown, which had the heaviest falls since 1907.

There was also a record flood peak of about 15 metres at the Daintree River, while the Barron River was at its highest since 1977.

Rain finally started to ease on Monday with a severe weather warning for the region cancelled.

People have also been warned of crocodile sightings and the risk of disease.

A 2.5-metre saltwater crocodile was pulled from a swollen gully in Ingham. Photo: Facebook

Town evacuation postponed

The ongoing rain forced the postponement of the evacuation of the entire 300-person town of Wujal Wujal to Cooktown.

However, Cooktown region’s mayor said he would scramble to boost dwindling food and supplies ahead of their arrival.

“We are ourselves low on food and supplies,” Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott said.

“We’ve still got enough tucker for another three days.

“We’ve also got water restrictions at the moment because our water treatment plant was flooded.

“We are running around trying to get food, blankets, that sort of stuff.

“We will see what the state government can organise — it will be a tough ask.”

Scott insisted the town still could host the evacuees with the Cooktown PCYC equipped to house up to 1000 people.

“Wujal Wujal have copped it very badly,” he said.

Scott believed one Australian Defence Force helicopter would be available to transport his Wujal Wujal neighbours to Cooktown, taking only six at a time.

“That’s a lot of trips going backwards and forwards,” he said.

“But the access road down there has been washed away.

“The only way to come is by air.

“The river is running too strong to think about barges or boats.”

Scott said it would be the first time in 10 years the Cooktown PCYC had housed so many people following a cyclone.

Even rooftops were not safe as the floodwaters rose rapidly. Photo: Facebook/Cape York Weekly

While Scott kept his fingers crossed that his demand for supplies would be met, State Disaster Co-ordinator Shane Chelepy on Monday assured all councils that assistance was on its way.

He said supplies were would be transported to flood-hit councils by “first light” Tuesday.

“We have engaged through the disaster management network with all the councils and we are actively planning to be able to re-supply food, water and medical supplies into all of the isolated communities,” he said.

Nikki Boyd is assisting the effort after being sworn in as Queensland’s new Fire and Disaster Recovery Minister on Monday.

“To those folks who are still waiting for that assistance, help is definitely on its way,” she said.

-with AAP