A flood-hit town has been surrounded by water, cutting off power and telecommunications, as residents face a lack of fresh supplies after waking up to the news they had no running water.

It came amid a forecast for yet more rain, and as authorities launched a desperate search on Wednesday afternoon for a man swept away by floodwaters in another blow to the rain-hit north Queensland community of Ingham.

Police said the man was last seen entering floodwaters about 5.15pm on Tuesday.

“The man … remains unaccounted for, despite water and aerial searches this morning,” Queensland Police said.

Flooding remained an ongoing concern for many across Queensland’s north-east on Wednesday after days of downpours, that have already claimed two lives and forced hundreds to evacuate.

However, Ingham has arguably been the worst hit. Road access to the town has been cut as the nearby Herbert River rose beyond a 15.2-metre flood record set almost 60 years ago.

About 7000 people have been without power for days with telecommunications also affected. Now food supplies are dwindling.

Reports have emerged of residents lining up at a petrol station to fill jerry cans to power generators, with diesel reportedly running out on Tuesday.

There have also been accounts of police maintaining order outside a local Woolworths, with the Townsville Bulletin showing footage of hundreds queuing up outside to grab vital provisions.

Water ran out after a generator flown into the town failed to fire up the local reticulated system, prompting an emergency alert early on Wednesday. Supplies were restored later in the day.

The community is still coming to terms with a second flood-related fatality after an 82-year-old woman’s body was found in nearby cane fields on Tuesday.

The Ingham community was also rocked after a 63-year-old woman died when an SES boat helping people through floodwaters struck a tree and flipped on Sunday.

It is believed it may be days before the major flood warning in the Ingham area is downgraded.

“That … is one of the places that’s had the most water through their town, the place that’s been isolated for a very long time,” Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister told Nine’s Today show on Wednesday.

She confirmed there had been talks with Woolworths about getting food and other supplies into the area.

On a visit to the town on Wednesday, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the community needed more clean-up help “than it’s had in many, many decades”.

In the nearby Cardwell region, residents are also reeling after copping almost 1700 millimetres of rain in the past week.

The Venz family has “lost absolutely everything”. Chelsea Venz was able to evacuate in time with her partner and two children, but her father and stepmother had to be rescued from the family’s shared property after they opted to stay and hope for the best.

Their home, two metres above ground, is completely inundated.

“Me and my family, we’re young enough to rebuild and start again. But it’s just my dad and my step mum, they’re in their 60s. It’s pretty devastating what’s happening,” Venz said.

There has been some relief with heavy rainfall easing in parts of the north but the flood threat continues.

An emergency alert was issued for the Burdekin region late on Tuesday, with locals warned the major arterial road – the Bruce Highway – would be cut by floodwaters from Ayr to Home Hill.

Further north, Georgetown residents were reportedly evacuated after the Etheridge River flooded following overnight downpours.

No let-up yet

Meanwhile, those in flood-hit communities starting to return to their homes are being warned to brace for more downpours.

There has been some relief with heavy rainfall easing, providing hope the inundated region can finally begin its massive clean-up.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that Townsville, Ingham and their surrounding regions could get another 200 millimetres of rain in coming days.

“Water is still moving through these catchment systems so that risk of riverine flooding will continue … likely over the next few days as we gradually start to see river levels falling,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Miriam Bradbury said.

-with AAP