The evacuation of a flooded town has been postponed but wet weather has not stopped some heroic rescues in far north Queensland.

At one stage a local used a mustering helicopter to save people from a hotel rooftop after record flooding and rainfall hit the region in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Jasper.

The entire town of Wujal Wujal north of Cairns – all 300 people – was at one stage set to be evacuated on Monday after some were trapped on roofs, including a seven-year-old at the local hospital.

However, Australian Defence Force helicopters will attempt to relocate the majority to Cooktown from early Tuesday after wet weather sabotaged their plans.

Authorities insisted everyone at Wujal Wujal was safe and on higher ground with no reports of serious injuries, despite crocodile sightings and disease warnings on Monday.

A 71-year-old man died north of Cairns but it was from a medical episode and “not as a result of the event”, police said.

The Wujal Wujal evacuation might have to wait but there has been no shortage of bold rescues, with one local using a fishing boat to save eight people at the Aboriginal community on Monday.

Another used a mustering helicopter to save 15 people from a hotel rooftop near Cooktown.

Five people – including two children – were rescued at Mount Molloy after spending the night on their roof.

“We have seen incredible acts of bravery … with families saved from rooftops and locals lending a hand to look after their neighbours,” Queensland Premier Steven Miles said.

“I want to thank our first responders for their incredible work but also those good Samaritans.”

The Australian Defence Force has sent about 150 personnel, equipment and four aircraft north to help, with communities isolated from Cooktown to Innisfail and more than 13,000 people without power.

There were about 300 rescues while another 200 self-evacuated north of Cairns overnight with assistance from the HMAS Cairns naval base.

More than 100 people remain in evacuation centres.

“We have heroes on the ground who have been out all night,” Mr Miles said.

“We deployed literally every boat we could get our hands on.”

–AAP