A week after the Mackay floods, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has put claims at $128 million, with about 9500 claims received so far.

But local broker Steve Brown says this figure is likely to rise to at least $200 million.

Mr Brown, the Mackay branch manager of Steel Pacific Insurance Brokers, told insuranceNEWS.com.au he has received nearly 70 claims so far.

"It's been quite strange," he said. "Once the rain cleared, everyone got in and started cleaning up, pulling carpet out, cleaning walls, piling up rubbish out on the grass.

"Our clients are now waiting for the assessors to come. But with the volume of claims it's very difficult to get them through as fast as they would like."

He says Mackay residents have been very understanding of the challenges the insurance industry is facing.

"Clients have been coming in saying, ‘Don't stress, there's not too much damage, we are just letting you know, get to us when you are able'," Mr Brown said.

He says insurers covering the large retail stores are taking big hits.

"Harvey Norman apparently lost $8 million worth of stock. There were fridges floating down the highway."

Mr Brown says while some insurers have handled the situation well, differences in policy wording are still causing confusion where two properties are in the same circumstances but are treated differently.