The Mayor of Townsville has a message for potential looters thinking of taking advantage of her flood-ravaged city - you better hope the locals don't catch you.
Jenny Hill didn't hold back when she was asked about reports of looting during the wild flooding that has devastated Townsville.
"To anyone who may be involved in that, you better pray the police catch you and not the locals. It's as simple as that," she said.
Two men were swept to their deaths at the height of the floods early on Monday after being seen by police responding to reports of a break-in at a Dan Murphy's liquor store.
Their bodies were found in a drain on Tuesday morning.
Mayor Hill said the deaths were a tragedy.
"My condolences to family members, no one wants them to suffer."
Mayor Hill said a quarter of Townsville was hit by the monsoon deluge, with floodwaters affecting about 22,000 homes.
Enough rain to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool swept over the spillway every second when the gates opened fully on Sunday night.
"We will need all the support we can get to ensure we can put this community back on an even keel as quickly as possible," she said.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten toured the disaster management centre and the flood-damaged city and said it had been eye-opening.
"It is hard to appreciate the extent of the damage until you are on the ground here."
