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More than 20 towns in Queensland, Australia, have been cut off or flooded across an area larger than France and Germany, with more than 200,000 people affected.

Rising flood waters have been gradually submerging parts of the Australian city of Rockhampton.

On Monday ����ý News website readers in Queensland told us what had been happening in their towns.

Petros Khalesirad, Rockhampton

As more and more days go by, a lot of water is moving around the central business district, commercial and residential buildings. It is quite eerie.

The next 48 hours will be interesting, because the flood water that is receding from towns like Emerald is now coming this way.

The community spirit is amazing. While I was driving, a petrol station started to get flood water - it looked like an island.

People got out of the cars and started helping out by putting sandbags around.

People have been helping out making sandbags - this is all by hand, they just shovel the sand in. Hundreds of volunteers have been piling sandbag after sandbag. And this operation will continue tomorrow.

There is the danger of dysentery and animals. Snakes have been seen swimming around the flooded homes and I haven't seen any crocodiles, but they are around.

There have been warnings that the flood water could have chemicals and fertilisers, so people are being told that they have to avoid entering the water. Common sense is the norm.

Trudi Reed, Rockhampton

The water is coming right through our house - it's two feet high at the moment.

My husband and I were on holiday with our three children but we came back early because we were told we wouldn't be able to get into town if we waited.

So we drove back and stocked up on fuel and food at all the petrol stations on our way.

We are going to stay in, we are fully prepared, have plenty of food and have been boiling the water - but if the water gets higher than the predicted 9.4 metres we will have to turn the power off and might have to leave.

The water is coming very quickly and we are watching it rise. When we first came home it was wrapping our driveway and by the next day our whole yard was inundated.

We have lost a lot of furniture. We are fully insured against flood damage, but just rang our insurance company and they told us they are not insuring anyone against this flood.

Casey Conway, Rockhampton

I am currently in Rockhampton but my family live in Yeppoon, so we have been cut off and I haven't been able to see them for the new year.

People are stocking up on the essentials like food, batteries and wireless radios because no trucks can come into town.

I live in higher ground so haven't been affected, but my younger brother lives near to the Fitzroy River, so I have been helping him move all his stuff upstairs and he has had to move his horses and cattle.

People here are worried because the worst is yet to come and the flood hasn't peaked yet.

We haven't seen floods like this in a long time, so I guess we weren't prepared.

It also happened during the holidays, so we have spent what are meant to be happy times worrying about the flood.

Mark Lawrence, Emerald

This disaster could be described as a tale of two towns.

Some parts of town have been unaffected by the water. Residents with homes situated on higher ground have had a lucky escape, while other homes have been completely devastated by the floodwaters.

My family and I were staying with friends. We were evacuated on 31 December and returned to our home last night.

My dad and I have spent much of the day clearing out sludgy debris from the house and pool.

The carpets are ruined. Our possessions are strewn all over the floor and any objects that remained above the water line are now damp.

The mood around town is sombre. What you could call a 'post flood depression'. But we're fairly optimistic and lucky. It could have been a lot worse.

Some parts of town have no electricity or water. We're now waiting for a team of insurers to assess the damage. We're not sure whether we'll be able to recoup money for the flood damage.

People are coming together, helping each other. But no-one from the local council has visited the flood zone area.

Residents to some extent have had to fend for themselves.

Your stories: Sunday 2 January

Your stories: Saturday 1 January