An elderly woman's body has been found in a cane field, delivering another blow to a flood-hit region.
The north Queensland community of Ingham is reeling after the 82-year-old became the second flood-related fatality after days of downpours.
Record-breaking rain has lashed north Queensland for days, sparking floods that have cut power, damaged roads and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes.
Ingham has been one of the worst hit, with power and road access cut as the nearby Herbert River rose beyond a 15.2m flood record set almost 60 years ago.
Floodwaters began to recede on Tuesday, revealing the latest tragedy for the region.
The 82-year-old woman's body was discovered in a cane paddock at Bemerside, near Ingham, on Tuesday morning as water levels fell.
The woman was last seen about 6pm on Monday, police said.
A neighbour raised the alarm after she was unable to find the woman at a property on Tuesday morning.
The Ingham community was rocked after a 63-year-old woman died when an SES boat helping people through floodwaters struck a tree and flipped on Sunday.
Recovery efforts will become the focus as flooding recedes across the north, with rainfall expected to ease in coming days.
But there is much to be done at Ingham where water levels remained at hip height on Tuesday, forcing authorities to seek help from the air.
The local hospital is back online but the Australian Defence Force is helping airlift generators to provide power and fuel supplies for services such as the water treatment plant.
Authorities are assessing how quickly they can repair the flooded Ingham substation.
Less than 10,000 homes across the north were without power on Tuesday, with nearly three-quarters of those in Ingham.
Food, fresh water and diesel are believed to be running low, with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli set to visit via helicopter.
Flood damage in the area included a major Bruce Highway link - the Ollera Creek Bridge near Ingham - which collapsed into the water on Sunday.
Local mayor Ramon Jayo described it as "another disaster" for Ingham.
Mr Crisafulli said he could remember his parents reflecting on the devastation of Ingham's 1967 floods and how the town hoped it would never happen again.
"This event has proven that another one did come ... the devastation is quite frankly, incredible," he said.
Heavy rainfall started to ease with scattered showers around Mackay and Townsville but major flooding was ongoing in multiple catchments on Tuesday.
Major flood warnings were ongoing for the Herbert and Haughton Rivers, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
However, the Townsville community is breathing easier after the Ross River fell short of peaking at a major flood level on Tuesday morning.
It allayed fears that floodwaters would rival those that devastated the region in 2019, when two lives were lost and thousands of homes inundated.
Joint state-federal government hardship payments have been made available to flood-hit regions.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder with ... every Queenslander," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during Question Time.
Nearly 300 people were still in evacuation centres across Townsville and Ingham on Tuesday.
Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said there has been one reported looting offence in the region.
