Two people have died in the worst weather to hit Queensland in 25 years.

Australia's north eastern state has been declared a natural disaster area after two huge storms, the first of which was likened to a tornado – swept through major towns, rural areas and the Brisbane city centre, causing massive flooding and damage to over 200,000 houses and leaving residents stranded and without water or power.

On Sunday a 19-year-old man, who had been taking photos of the flooding, drowned in a swollen drain outside a shopping centre.

In the second storm, an elderly woman was swept to her death when the car in which she was travelling with her husband was washed off a crossing by rising floodwaters in the early hours of Thursday morning. Her elderly husband survived and is currently being treated in hospital.

The first of the storms swept through on Sunday night, ripping roofs off houses and bringing down trees. The most violent to hit Brisbane since 1985, it left thousands of people without power, water and caused so much damage to some homes, residents likened the devastation to that left by a tornado.

Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister, who visited toured one of the worst-hit suburbs on Tuesday,likened it to "a war zone''.

On Wednsday, as residents were beginning to return to their homes and as electricity was being put back on to over 200,000 houses which had been without power for three days, the second storm blew in, destroying homes and causing widespread flooding.

Scores of people had to be rescued from being stranded in their cars and homes, and a pregnant woman had to be taken to hospital by a 4WD ambulance after her car became stuck between overflowing creek crossings while she was in labour. She eventually made it to hospital and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

The cost for repairing roads and hundreds of houses that have been critically damaged is expected to upwards of $100 million, more than that for the repair bill for the notorious Cycle Larry, a categoy 5 storm that tore through Queensland's tropical far north in 2006. Although Larry caused widespread destruction, no lives were lost.

Today, major highways and suburban roads around Brisbane remain impassable, and an inner-city by-pass has been closed after it was flooded with 11 million litres of water after pumps failed. Rail services have also been cancelled after rail lines also became flooded.

Emergency service crews including SES (State Emergency Service) volunteers and Australian Defence Force personnel are sandbagging and clearing trees from houses, and work is under way to prevent landslides in certain areas.

The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, on Thursday activated a state natural disaster plan to assist stranded families and said a disaster centre would be set up in Brisbane.

“We are still doing some damage assessment and interstate SES crews will be brought in if needed,” said Ms Bligh, whose mother had to be rescued when her house became flooded.

“You are reminded of the awesome power of nature.”

There is no respite in sight. Forecasters say further storms and rain are expected in the next 24 hours.

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