During the period 10 - 18 February 2008, a number of severe weather fronts permeated numerous areas including the western, far north, central and south-east regions of Queensland. Towns seriously affected by the flood included Townsville, Bundaberg, Mackay, Rockhampton, Airlie Beach, Proserpine, Cooktown, Cairns and Ingham. Heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding resulted in widespread damage across the state of Queensland. There was notable damage to state infrastructure as well as other damage relating to buildings and houses. At Mackay 4000 houses were inundated from floodwater and some stations reported 600mm of rain in 6 hours.  Agriculture and horticulture based industries also sustained heavy losses.

The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 2008 damage at $410 million, with the 2011 estimated normalised cost of $507 million.

In a subsequent case study by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, recommendations were made relating to disaster preparedness, including workshops and online resources for residents, including flood preparation information for new residents.