The 23-month-old baby and a woman were killed in a three-car collision between Port Douglas and Cairns in late May.
The category four system is set to weaken as it interacts with landfall closer to PNG and gradually treks toward Queensland’s coast in the coming days.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the cyclone was the first weather system in more than two decades that was expected to hit three states and territories.
The Premier also acknowledged the government needs to learn from disasters,after it was revealed Coen didn’t have a cyclone shelter for residents.
“Do not let stupidity shorten your life … driving into flood water can have fatal consequences.”
“If a category 5 system crosses the coast in this location,it’ll be the first time that’s happened in over 100 years,” the Queensland premier said.
A tropical low off the coast of Far North Queensland has developed into a cyclone.
Communities are bracing for “life-threatening flash flooding” as the remnants of Koji move inland,while the weather bureau issues a warning for the south-east.
While the system has been downgraded,damaging winds and heavy rain are expected to continue for the next few days.
The body of a man in his 70s was found inside a vehicle submerged in floodwater at Normanton.