The meteorological office expects the peak on Tuesday morning to reach 3.7 meters. The elevated levels will remain for days as water from the upper basins and controlled discharges from the overflowing Wivenhoe Dam reach Moreton Bay.
Speaking at a news conference, Mayor Adrian Schrinner acknowledged that while the river may not have been as high as it was in 2011, parts of the city were inundated that may not have been flooded at the time.
The aftermath of the first day and clean-up efforts along the Ithaca and Enoggera Creeks in Brisbane's Inner North West.Credit:matt dennien
"We're going to activate the sludge army 2.0 citywide," Cr Schrinner said, referring to the hordes of helpers who helped clean up more than a decade ago.
"At the moment, our priority is to make sure we get through this dangerous flood point."
Back in the northern suburbs, a visitor clad in rubber boots in a wide creek off Queenslander handed over a carton of beer to cheers, while backhoes and pressure washers hummed and beeped in the background.
Further along, where the Enoggera and Ithaca Creeks join before flowing through Kelvin Grove to the river at Newstead, another army was already working on a stretch of single-story unit blocks. Nearby was a car wash, while two children played in the brown liquid on a skimboard.
Tom and a group of mates wait for the water to recede from their flooded house in William Parade, Yeronga.Credit:Brisbane timetables
Families on foot, with schools closed, public transport suspended and authorities pleading with them to work from home if possible, made the most of the first dry day since last week.
South of the river, the hilly Yeronga River Suburb was an island archipelago surrounding a vast sea that used to be a series of parks and sports ovals.
Emergency services were called in to help evacuate residents on the ground floor of the Regis Aged Care site, while those out of water and without power on upper floors prepared for another night.
Less than a mile north at the new suburban banks on William Parade, Tom and his mates were enjoying the day.
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“My house is flooded. I have no power. What else do you want me to do then, sit here and drink beers while I watch the flood water? he said.
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