Rockhampton , Australia ( CNN ) -- River levels were slowly receding in eastern Australia on Friday , but officials warned residents to steer clear of roads damaged by devastating floods . In Rockhampton -- one of the hardest hit cities -- the fast-flowing Fitzroy River remained near its recent peak of 9.2 meters ( about 30 feet ) . With many major roads underwater , some residents holed up in homes surrounded by the deluge were still using boats to travel . Government officials warned residents to avoid flooded areas . `` We are still seeing incidents of people driving through floodwaters , getting stuck and having to be rescued . We understand people feel confined and are increasingly frustrated at not being able to get from place to place easily , but I can not stress enough how unsafe some road infrastructure is after being flooded for days , '' Queensland Acting Chief Superintendent Brian Codd said . Officials said the degree of damage remained unclear . `` The full extent of the damage to the 33,000 kilometers of state roads is impossible to quantify right now , '' Craig Wallace , Queensland state 's minister of main roads , said . `` It will be an unprecedented long-term repair job that will take months , perhaps even years to fully complete , '' he said . Rainfall continued in some areas , prolonging problems in some of the hardest hit places , Queensland 's government said . Nearly 2,000 people had been evacuated from flood-affected areas , the government said , with 640 of them in shelters across the state . The flooding also affected about 40 mines in the coal-rich state , the government said in a statement . Environmental officials were monitoring water discharges from the mines , the statement said . Farmers were particularly hard hit , as water washed over crops and blocked roads used to transport them to market . Global transport of commodities like coal and steel out was also stymied . The seasonal flooding in the state of Queensland intensified last month after monsoon rains caused rivers to spill over their banks and reach record levels . The floodwaters covered an area the size of France and Germany combined , stretching from Queensland into the neighboring state of New South Wales . Police said 10 people have died as a result of flooding since November 30 -- many of them swept away by swift waters . The airport in Rockhampton closed Sunday and was expected to remain closed for weeks , according to Emergency Management Queensland . At least 200,000 people have been affected by prolonged flooding , police have said . CNN 's Phil Black contributed to this report .
`` It will be an unprecedented long-term repair job , '' 10 official says . With roads underwater , some residents are still using boats to travel . 10 people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas in New South Wales state . Police say one people have died in flooding since Sunday .