Other mine workers are being left in town on call with the State Emergency Service to help members of the community who are being evacuated.

One of the hardest hit mines has been Ensham Resources' Ensham opencut, which has had one of its four draglines submerged.

Whilst the initial flooding was mostly attributable to floodwaters in the Theresa Creek system, subsequent releases from Fairbairn Dam and uncontrolled flows into the Nogoa River since Saturday are likely to worsen the situation in the next two to three days.

The Bowen and Dalrymple regions have officially been declared disaster zones, and residents of the town of Emerald are being evacuated.

According to Emerald resident and local photographer Judi Liosatos, whose property near Emerald's racecourse was 50m in the safe zone this morning, it is a "very frightening time for everyone in Emerald".

She told International Longwall News at 11.30am Monday the water was 3.58m over the dam wall, the Nogoa river at Emerald's main bridge was 13.88m high and rising and the town's lake was 1.3 times the size of Sydney Harbour.

"All bridges are under and the big bridge has water going completely over it. You can waterski on the golf course.

"We have all that times a few yet to come down.

"Supervisors and deputies have been flown out to the mines and they have choppered in food and supplies because they have to keep the pumps and the ventilation going.

"The mines have been very good in this situation, as far as I am aware they are still paying all the guys' wages but they are on call for the SES to help the community."

Ensham Resources has used helicopters to evacuate employees stranded at the mine, which was cut in half by the massive floodwaters over the weekend.

After visiting the mine on Saturday afternoon, Ensham Resources CEO John Pegler said flooding far exceeded the one in a 100 years magnitude and water had entered the mine as floodwaters moved down the Theresa Creek into the Nogoa River.

"Our first priority is the safety of our people and the wellbeing of their families in this challenging situation. This means helping those facing devastation at home as well as getting on with mine operations and recovery of flooded pits.

"Crews in some parts of the mine are continuing normal operations and other crews are moving equipment to higher ground and monitoring the situation pit by pit. Happily, everybody is accounted for and no injuries have been reported," Pegler said.

Many employees were allowed to go home before the flood hit the mine access road last Friday, while others elected to stay on site and help with flood preparations.

"Employees who now need to be home with family as floodwaters threatened the township of Emerald were being flown out of the mine by helicopter Sunday.

"The flooding of the Theresa Creek system northwest of Ensham and Nogoa River system southwest of the mine and the release of flood flows of the Fairbairn Dam at the same time is a most unusual occurrence and one which is unprecedented in our experience," he said.

Despite a huge effort by employees, the speed of the arriving flood overwhelmed one of the very slow-moving draglines while it was being shifted out of the lowest-lying Ensham pit early on Saturday morning.

This dragline - one of four operating at the mine subsequently became completely submerged by flood waters and it would be some time until it could be recovered, Ensham said. Some portable offices and buildings and a contractor's crane were also submerged as floodwaters broke into a second pit late on Saturday.

Three other draglines have been moved to higher ground. They include the new ultra large Bucryrus 8750, commissioned a year ago at a cost over $A100 million. One machine is continuing to work in a pit in the north of the 30km-long mine.

Ensham has been forced to declare force majeure and will be unable to meet immediate shipping schedules. This will be reviewed as recovery options are considered in the coming week, the company said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh paid a visit to Charleville and Emerald on Sunday. The ABC reported Bligh as saying damage from the flooding could run into millions of dollars but the extent would not be known until the water recedes.