Residents in flood-hit parts of Tasmania face an anxious wait for rivers to subside before they're allowed to begin the bleak task of assessing the damage.
An evacuation order remains in place along the Meander River in the northwest after widespread record-breaking rain across the state's top half spanning days.
A dozen other areas are under watch-and-act alerts, including the Mersey River, River Ouse, and South Esk River.
Emergency authorities are closely monitoring flooded rivers and tributaries, warning they may rise and fall as water flows out to sea.
State Emergency Service acting director Leon Smith pointed to mid-2016 when three people were killed as the last significant flooding event.
Tasmania's north and northwest have seen record-breaking rainfall over the past few days.
"The rainfall in 2022 we've experienced has exceeded a lot of those values (from 2016) and has been far-reaching by comparison to that previous event," Mr Smith told the ABC on Saturday.
With rivers receding, some residents in the state's northeast were returning to their properties in a "methodical and managed manner", Mr Smith said. However, the situation was different in the north.
"We're actively still monitoring that and monitoring the peak period, which is expected to extend into the next 12 to 24 hours," he said.
He noted residents returning home in some areas should be aware of hazardous road conditions and debris.
The town of Deloraine in the northwest has been among the worst affected, with aerial footage showing flooding of properties and businesses.
It remains unclear when the port of Devonport will reopen after it was closed to commercial operations on midday Thursday ahead of flooding in the Mersey River.
The closure forced the Spirit of Tasmania ferry operator to cancel four Bass Strait sailings.
TasPorts said the closure was being reviewed by the Tasmanian harbour master twice daily.
"It is very important to understand that there are potential dangers underwater, even if they are not visible on the surface," TasPorts chief operating officer Stephen Casey said.
"TasPorts is aware of debris and several displaced watercrafts in the port.
"Work to remove these hazards will be undertaken as soon as it is safe to do so.
"The flooded river also creates dangerous currents in the port area that are a hazard to safe vessel manoeuvring, particularly for larger commercial vessels."
