Queensland communities remain cut-off after flooding disaster

A large recovery effort is under way across Queensland's far north, with dozens of communities left isolated just days out from Christmas.

More than 100 residents have been flown from the remote far north community of Wujal Wujal to Cooktown after being stranded for days.

Some were rescued from roofs and flood-ravaged properties in a major military operation.

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Flood marks on the ceilings of homes revealed the extent of the emergency.

Wujal Wujal Deputy Mayor Regan Kulka's home was among the properties covered in a thick layer of brown sludge following the flooding.

All remaining residents who want to leave were expected to be safely evacuated overnight, however an elderly man is still missing.

"Very concerned for his wellbeing, especially now that they've been able to access his property and can't find him," Premier Steven Miles said.

Thirty-five communities in the state's far north remain cut off.

"One of the key issues we still face in some of the remote communities is re-supply of food, groceries, medicine and water," Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

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The only way to send essentials north of Cairns is by boat as the normally picture-perfect 70-kilometre stretch of the Captain Cook Highway is littered with landslides.

"When we told them we were bringing food, they broke down in tears," skipper Jason Moore said.

It could be weeks before the road is repaired, which has left the holiday hotspot of Port Douglas isolated and quickly running out of supplies. 

Another 15 kilometres north, in Wonga Beach, there were more evacuations.

Hineida Burza said her husband was swept away at one point before she and her six-week-old baby, Cooper, were evacuated in a tinny.

"Bit scary, when water's like coming up near your house, and you've got a screaming baby," she said.

They're back home and among the many residents across the region facing a massive clean-up job, in their case without any power.

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the work would take "a long time" but stressed Port Douglas was "untouched".

"At this stage we've now had the technical people in then they've done the assessments of the roads so we know which roads need the repairs and we know where they are that the blockages are," he said.

"And now we're making the actions of plans to get those things fixed."

The recovery continued across the northern beaches of Cairns on Wednesday.

Holloways Beach was one of the hardest hit areas, where residents were counting the costs today.

"There is quite a number of people who are homeless, or they are staying at their homes but they're completely trashed, they've lost everything," Holloways Beach residents Dan and Crystal said.

As power is slowly returning to the far north, a flood appeal has been launched to provide financial assistance to affected families.

Kate Hammacott and her two young sons fled rising floodwaters in their tinny on Sunday morning.

One of the boys admitted he was "a tiny bit" scared.

"Yeah, saved a couple people and then we just tied it up to a tree and went to somewhere safe," Van Hammacott said, before elaborating on who they saved.

" ... an old woman and two kids and a blue-tongue lizard."

HMAS Cairns chaplain Nigel Porter said the clean-up was just the start and he was worried for the mental health of those affected.

"It's been emotional. We've seen a lot of people who have been affected deeply from what we've experienced up here," he said, at a sausage sizzle.

"But it's also been joyful in the fact we've got blokes like these fellas here, right helping the community."