 Theodore, deserted by its people, devastated by a second, bigger flood. The coal-catalan cotton community is a ghost town. When the river peaked at 14.7 metres two days ago, the only people who saw it were police, who stayed behind to protect abandoned homes. You know the people and you know the homes you've been in solid and you know what devastation is going to be there. Battling brown snakes and rising water, such at Mark Baylin and his team, spent New Year's Eve moving cars to higher ground. They broke into a business or two to save stock. He said I don't care what you do Mark, he said just get him there, get the computer out, that's all we've got left. The damage is catastrophic. 148 out of 240 homes has had water through them. Theodore's 20 businesses were all inundated. The hospital just left before and sadly our doctor is surgery. He's had approximately 1.2 metres through the doctor's surgery. It's 300 residents Queensland's first to be evacuated are staying at Nara. In the mining camps mess hall, we showed them what they've been waiting to see. The lives they left behind. Thressed out since I left. All we want to do now is get home and have a look. And see what the damage is and start the big cleanup. I think it's pretty bad and mine was gone in the first. The first one that comes through and yes I'll have nothing left. No one knows when they'll be allowed back. When the water goes down, where do 148 families live? Theodore isn't just any community. Residents own the pub, the retirement village and when the Royal Flying Doctors refused to land here at night, they raised $60,000 to light the runway. Until residents return, their town is in good hands. In Theodore, Erin Edwards, 7 News.