Brisbane has been declared a natural disaster area, as soldiers and prisoners repair damage caused by one of the biggest storms to hit the city in two decades.
About 30,000 properties across Brisbane, Redcliffe and the Gold Coast were without power yesterday afternoon after Sunday's storm brought hail and wind gusts of up to 130km/h, unroofed homes and toppled power lines and trees.
Emergency authorities said up to 4000 homes had been damaged, with 300 homes ''significantly damaged'' and 30 deemed uninhabitable.
While most areas received from 40mm to 60mm of rain, Ferny Hills in Brisbane's north-west received 80mm altogether, 69mm of that falling in just 30 minutes.
A 20-year-old man was killed when he was swept away by quickly rising water while photographing the storm in a drain with a 23-year-old friend at Chermside, in Brisbane's north.
Premier Anna Bligh compared the disaster to Cyclone Larry, which battered North Queensland in 2006.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard activated natural disaster relief and recovery arrangements, including the deployment of more than 100 chainsaw-equipped soldiers.
Ms Gillard also pledged to cover half of the State Government's clean-up costs.
Ms Gillard said, ''The public rightly expects all levels of government to work closely together in times of need so that the community can bounce back quickly.
''The (Federal) Government's thoughts are with the thousands of families that have been caught up in this disaster, and most particularly with the family of the young man who tragically lost his life.''
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said 1200 people, including emergency services personnel, Energex staff, Queensland police and the army, were working on the clean-up operation.
Police recruits and 20 minimum-security prisoners were also involved in the effort, the State Government said. The mayor said, ''Nothing like this has happened to the city for at least 10 years. Perhaps it goes back to 1985, with a very big storm back in those days.''
He said Energex had recorded 576 cases of toppled power lines. Some homes are expected to remain without power for another 48 hours.
The city council has warned residents in western Brisbane to boil their water or buy bottled water after a roof coated with bird droppings collapsed into a reservoir at The Gap, the worst-hit area of the city.
Disruptions to transport services are expected to continue today and traffic lights are out at many intersections. Ms Bligh said families severely affected by the storm were eligible for cash assistance of up to $765 and individuals could claim $165.
''These are just the immediate cash payments for people who have literally got nothing, for people who need to buy food for their children or buy clothes,'' she said.
Ms Bligh said some people would not be able to return to their home for weeks. Police patrols are being boosted to deter looters.
The Premier said up to 4000 insurance claims had already been made, but this number would grow. She warned that more storms were expected to hit south-east Queensland on Thursday. AAP