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Flood-hit communities starting to return to their homes are being warned to brace for more heavy downpours, which have already claimed the lives of two people, in the coming days.

Ingham has been one of the worst hit, with power and road access cut as the nearby Herbert River rose beyond a 15.2m flood record set almost 60 years ago.

Its community is reeling after an elderly woman’s body was found in a cane field yesterday.

The 82-year-old became the second flood-related fatality after days of downpours that have completely isolated the town, with fresh water, food and diesel supplies believed to be running low.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned major flooding is ongoing in multiple catchments despite isolated and less widespread showers.

Major flood warnings were still in place for the Herbert and Haughton river catchments late on Tuesday after the region was lashed by rain.

“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’s Miriam Bradbury said.

Widespread 24-hour rainfall totals across the coast dropped to 50mm to 100mm, with Mackay copping 193mm with around 200mm along the coastline spanning Cairns and Innisfail.

However, the bureau warned cumulative rainfall totals from the past week were driving the ongoing flood risk for the region.

AAP