RECORD-busting rains have left Port Douglas awash under 446mm of water in 24 hours, breaking the town's 117-year rain-gauge history for a March tally.

Rainfall measured in the 24-hours to 9am on Wednesday was the highest recorded daily March total, according to the weather bureau.

The previous record was 415mm on March 10, 1904, duty forecaster Gordon Banks told The Cairns Post.

"It's a long time between drinks, big drinks," Mr Banks said.

The highest ever daily rainfall was 800mm on April 1, 1911. But for those mopping up around town, Mr Banks had good news: "I think, maybe, things are looking up," he said.

"You might see some moderate-to-heavy falls tonight, but it's losing some of its oomph."

The deluge swamped roads and homes across town, triggered a landslide on iconic Flagstaff Hill and cut the town off from Cairns and Mossman as water poured on to the Captain Cook Highway at Yule Point, Craiglie and Crees Creek.

As waters receded, Beach Terraces property manager George Page was clearing an underground car park and storage area where water had gushed down driveways from Garrick and Mowbray streets in the town's centre.

"We've lost washing machines, clothes dryers, extension leads … all our spare things for the units: lamps, clock radios," Mr Page said.

"Mowbray St turned into a lake. The force of the water was too strong for the sandbags and it all came into the car park. We still had idiot motorists driving down the street, sending waves down the driveway, over the top of the sandbags."

Mossman copped 302mm of rain and 266mm fell on the Daintree.

The downpour stopped the Daintree Ferry, swamped Junction Bridge on the way to Cooya Beach and swept over roads north of the Mossman River.

Tourists were marooned at Silky Oaks lodge outside Mossman and more than 80 per cent of Douglas Shire Council staff were yesterday reportedly unable to reach their offices at Mossman.

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