Hundreds flee homes as floodwaters swamp community

Hundreds of people have fled their homes as floodwaters swamped a major regional community after predictions of a natural disaster not seen in almost 20 years.

But locals are hopeful flood levels won't reach a predicted peak of 7.6 metres at the central Queensland hub of Bundaberg after the Burnett River burst its banks.

Floodwaters rose overnight, forcing about 200 people to seek shelter at an evacuation centre while a few motorists were rescued trying to cross inundated roads.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded and a handful of schools closed in the region, while about 2500 people lost power.

But residents woke to blue skies on Wednesday and are hopeful flooding won't reach 7.6m - just 30cm shy of 2010 levels that forced about 400 people to evacuate.

It is also well short of a 2013 disaster when record 9.53m floodwaters damaged infrastructure and about 4000 homes.

Authorities on Wednesday morning said floodwaters had peaked at 7.4m and kept their fingers crossed that figure wouldn't change as they prepared for a major clean-up.

State government assistance would be on offer as the community looked to rebuild from yet another natural disaster, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said.

"That's a big blow and it's hard to keep picking yourself off the canvas," he told reporters in the flood-hit city of more than 50,000 people.

"Proud communities like this find a way to keep bouncing back. But just because they're resilient doesn't mean they should be left to their own devices."

Local farmers will also receive help after floodwaters claimed about 1200 livestock, damaged 1000km of fencing and caused "immense" crop losses, Mr Crisafulli said.

Bundaberg state MP Tom Smith told AAP the city had been well prepared for the latest flooding, having seen it all before.

"As far as we know, people were able to get out on time, and there was a little of a feeling of, 'Here we go again'," he said.

"The best thing is people aren't stranded on their rooftops.

"It's now about waiting for the river to go down, and then we form a big mud army."

Locals were asked to leave late on Tuesday before the community's two major bridges were closed, leaving an estimated 10,000 people isolated.

As Bundaberg waited for floodwaters to recede, attention also turned further southwest to Chinchilla, where Charleys Creek is expected to peak.

Businesses have already been inundated and locals are on a "knife's edge" amid fears floodwaters will close in on their homes, the premier said.

Farther west, flood peaks are also set to hit Longreach and Bedourie in a couple of days.

About 650 roads across Queensland have been cut by floodwaters after a tropical low left a trail of destruction.

Flooding has also affected the Northern Territory with more rain forecast.

Hundreds of people were flown from Daly River, Palumpa, Beswick and Jilkminggan over the weekend, mostly to Darwin.

People in the NT capital have been asked to boil water after a temporary generator was installed at a Darwin River Dam pumping station damaged by flooding.

Locals have been stocking up on bottled water, toilet paper and food at supermarkets where some shelves are now bare.

Meanwhile, the flooded town of Katherine is into clean-up mode but hundreds of people remain in shelters, some houses still lack power and people have been told to boil water as a precaution.