One month on from the flooding crisis in Townsville and locals are still coming to terms with the natural disaster.

For Reece and Kate Booij life will never be the same again.

"It's been an unbelievable February really, starting off with the floods and continuing on to having our first-born son, so it's been an awesome rollercoaster really," Mr Booij said.

As a volunteer with the State Emergency Service (SES), Mr Booij and his partner Richard Patrick singlehandedly rescued more than 100 people on the night the floodwaters peaked.

"At one stage we had 16 including two operators with two dogs and two cats in the boat too," he said.

The flooding displaced residents from hundreds of Townsville homes. ( Supplied: Reece Booij )

While the crisis was unfolding, Ms Booij was at home awaiting the arrival of their first baby.

After a discussion, the pair decided to push back her induced labour to allow Mr Booij to continue his work with the SES.

"That decision was made. If I went out in the boat then I might not have seen Harrison get born," he said.

The couple delayed the induced labour to allow Mr Booij to continue his work with the SES. ( Supplied: Reece Booij )

If that was not enough to contend with, the couple's home was also at risk of flooding, and shortly after Mr Booij left their suburb it was cut off.

"It was really odd going from packing a hospital bag to suddenly going to packing an emergency bag just in case because we were thinking what are we going to do because our suburb got cut off," Ms Booij said.

Once the floodwaters receded, the reprieve for the Booij family was short-lived with baby Harrison born on Valentine's Day.

The couple said a natural disaster prepared them for the sleep deprivation that was to follow.

"I don't think there is a normal anymore — it's all so new, it's getting back to normal, our new normal I guess," Ms Booij said.

The proud father hoped Harrison might one day follow in his father's footsteps.

"We've got a recruitment drive in March so I should get a little SES onesie and sign him up," Mr Booij said.

SES volunteers helped rescue residents from their Townsville homes. ( Supplied: Reece Booij )

Bringing the community together

Despite the heartache for many, the monster monsoon brought the Townsville community closer together.

Alicia Populin was hailed as one of the hero's of the disaster after her two storey-house in Idalia became a haven for 63 people and their pets who were escaping rising floodwaters.

Four weeks later and Ms Populin said the change in the neighbourhood had been incredible.

"Afternoon catch-up and drinks in the driveway became a common occurrence immediately after and no doubt weekly get togethers will continue," she said

They are also now planning a street party with all 63 people and their animals invited.

And with a mammoth clean-up still underway those relationships are proving to be more important than ever.

"Absolutely everyone has been pitching in. It's sad that a few neighbours have left the street as their houses have had to be rebuilt, so we are looking forward to their return," she said.

Some of the children taking refuge at the Populin home. ( Supplied: Alicia Populin )

Precious memories recovered

For many locals the floods are a memory they would rather forget, and for Sharryl and Michael Whiting the past month is a blur.

The couple had almost a foot of water through their entire home in Idalia, and today it resembles a construction site.

Sharryl and Michael Whiting attempted to save thousands of photos damaged in the floods. ( ABC News: Sally Rafferty )

The couple had thousands of photographs documenting memories from trips across Australia and overseas destroyed in an instant.

Others belonged to Mr Whiting's mother which the family had never seen.

It has been a painstaking process to preserve as many pictures as possible, all done while trying to find a new place to live.

Ms Whiting's son came up from Melbourne to help with the search, sometimes competing with up to 50 other applicants.

"I've never really had that feeling of homelessness before," she said.

Townsville residents try to salvage water-damaged photos. ( ABC News: Sofie Wainwright )

The couple have now managed to secure a rental while their home is gutted and virtually rebuilt from the ground up.

They will move into their temporary accommodation on Monday just in time for Mr Whiting's birthday.

"When there is a flood you think it just comes up and then it goes and then that's the end of it," she said.

"You clean it out, but we realise now we have a lot more compassion for people that go through disasters."

In the meantime they will continue to take photographs documenting a new chapter.