Evacuation of homes in Queensland’s Wide Bay-Burnett region is continuing as rivers approach major flood levels.

At least 14 schools and childcare centres have been shut down due to the flood as well, with parents and carers urged to check schools’ websites for details.

Resident Kerry Derix, who lives at Moore Park Beach near Bundaberg, has been flooded in for the last five days.

She works in administration at a local agriculture business and said she had cabin fever being stuck at home.

“I only just managed to get in this morning and one of major roads is still flooded so I had to come in the back way once that was clear,” she said.

Lowmead and Baffle Creek, north of Bundaberg, were hardest hit as local mayors called for state and federal assistance to be expedited.

Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett said many local roads had been destroyed and a disaster coordination centre had been activated.

In the North Burnett, it was the farmers who copped a hiding.

North Burnett Mayor Rachel Chambers said she had already asked the state and federal governments for help.

“This week was our harvest week and they’ve lost everything again – we’re looking at around a $4 million loss so far,” she said.

“It is just a kick in the teeth again and again and again so therefore it’s not just financial, it’s going to be social.”

Cr Chambers said if farmers did not do well in the North Burnett, the region itself suffered.

“It has a flow-on effect through our small businesses and through our day-to-day life,” she said.

Cr Chambers said the region had previously missed out on disaster relief funding but this time she was not taking no for an answer.

Heavy rain moves further north

Meanwhile, the wild weather that has been battering Queensland’s central coast has moved north to Cairns, plunging thousands of homes into darkness.

Widespread outages have been reported from Innisfail to Port Douglas after the region was hit by heavy rainfall and lightning.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Harry Clark said 148 millimetres fell at Cairns Airport, but the highest rainfall in the state overnight was 256mm in Bilyana, between Tully and Ingham.

In the meantime, Brisbane is drying out with only a few showers expected today.

“Tomorrow is looking like the best day this week with sunny patches developing,” Mr Clark said.

-ABC