Southeast Queensland is bracing for even more wild weather over the next 12 hours, with ex-Cyclone Debbie delivering a sting in the tail.
Parts of Brisbane received in excess of 200mm of rain and Springbrook was drenched with than 380mm over the course of Thursday but that's expected to intensify on Thursday night.
The weather bureau is also worried about high winds heading into Thursday evening, with gusts up to 125km/h expected in coastal areas, while flash flooding in the greater Brisbane area is blocking roads.
Residents of 71 homes in southeast Queensland's Lockyer Valley are being urged to keep a close eye on rising waters with authorities warning low-lying areas may flood overnight.
Four houses at Laidley and 67 in Forest Hill could be inundated in the same region where 22 people were killed when flash floods ripped through in 2011.
SBS Correspondent Stefan Armbruster is in Proserpine:
A police spokesman confirmed there was no evacuation order but said people were being warned to prepare to leave and stay with relatives by the local disaster management group on Thursday night.
All guests and over 100 staff have now been evacuated from Daydream Island in the Whitsundays after Cyclone Debbie hit the region.
The defence force delivered food, fuel and water to the Island earlier today, while local ferries were organised to get guests back to the mainland.
The Island thanked staff in a statement, saying they were now carrying out assessments, but expected to be closed for business for at least a month.
Residents in several as the destructive tail of ex-Cyclone Debbie continues down Australia's east coast.
Towns including Lismore, Kingscliff, Bilambil, Murwillumbah and Condong have been ordered to evacuate immediately with major flooding expected in the area.
Some Gold Coast residents may be cut off as heavy rain continues to fall across the region.
The Tallebudgera Valley is expected to be cut off as roads are inundated, with 380mm recorded at nearby Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland.
As much as 500mm is predicted for the region, more than four times the average monthly rainfall in Brisbane for March.
Meanwhile, emergency services have rescued around 90 people in cyclone-ravaged Mackay from floodwaters that left many stranded on the roofs of their homes and in their cars.
The majority, about 40 people, were rescued by swift water crews in the Homebush area, just southwest of Mackay, and were moved to the West Leagues Club.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll said all people stranded in Homebush and the other heavily waterlogged Mackay suburb of Eton have been rescued.
A bull shark washed up in a puddle in Ayr, QLD following flooding in the area. (Queensland Fire and Emergency) Source: Queensland Fire and Emergency
"Certainly through the early hours of this morning there was some tense times when there was flash flooding in that area and in two storey houses the water was actually buffeting the second
storey," she said.
"There was an extraordinary spike in 000 calls but I'm very happy that they all have been rescued and evacuated."
Watch: Proserpine after Cyclone Debbie
A severe weather warning has been issued for dangerous surf along the southern Queensland coast and almost 50 roads have been closed on the Sunshine Coast as heavy rain hammers the state's southeast.
But no reports of major damage or injury have been received by the Sunshine Coast Council, a spokeswoman told AAP on Thursday.
Residents outside the Queensland town of Biloela are being urged to consider relocating as authorities issues an emergency alert for water levels at the Callide and Kroombit Dams.
Police say preparations to leave should be made immediately and residents in areas at risk are being told to head to the Biloela Civic Centre.
"Residents downstream of the dams are advised to monitor dam levels in case water releases are required," police say.
Cars sit in flood waters outside the Robina Hospital on the Gold Coast, Thursday, March 30, 2017. (AAP/Dave Hunt) Source: AAP Image/Dave Hunt
The aftermath of Cyclone Debbie has caused a deluge in southeast Queensland, leading the state government on Thursday to close all public, private and independent schools from Agnes Water south to the NSW border.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the decision to close state schools and make a directive for private schools to follow suit for a second day on Friday wasn't taken lightly.
About 200mm of torrential rain has already fallen across the region through Thursday morning and a further 200mm is expected along the Sunshine Coast and a whopping 400mm in the hinterland.
Watch: Brisbane mayor warns of heavy rain
The rain has caused 46 roads to be closed, with many flooded and debris making some too dangerous to use.
"We expect road conditions to be hazardous, with water over local low-lying roads, and tree and vegetation damage, so please stay off the roads if you can," the Sunshine Coast Council warned in a statement.
According to the spokeswoman, most businesses have heeded the state government's advice to close by midday and while there was a lull in the weather, locals are bracing for more wild weather in the afternoon.
"With the Bureau of Meteorology now advising increased rainfall predictions for the Sunshine Coast, council is urging the community to avoid unnecessary travel and never drive through flood waters," the council said in a statement.
"Flash flooding is very likely so people need to be prepared."
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull toured the cyclone-ravaged areas with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
"Nature flings its worst at Australians and it's certainly happened here in the Whitsunday region, but it brings out the best [in people]," Mr Turnbull told reporters.
"The storm's gone, the clean-up will happen and then it's back in business."
The federal government has made money available immediately to the local council to start rebuilding infrastructure - including urgent repairs to roads where damage has cut off towns.
Mr Shorten said if people wanted to help longer-term recovery efforts "the Whitsunday region is a great place for a holiday".
"They will tidy this up, they will be back on their feet," he said.
Sandbags are being collected from six SES depots across the area.
Some flights have been delayed but the Sunshine Coast Airport remains open.
