The death toll in Queensland's flood crisis has risen to 17, as a woman's body was recovered at home in in Grantham in the Lockyer Valley that was hit by flash flood earlier last week.

State Premier Anna Bligh said the woman's body was recovered in a home which had been searched twice before. The discovery was made during a "final search" of the building.

"Some of the houses are full of debris," Bligh told reporters.

"Police and army personnel are being absolutely systematic and rigorous," she said. "We need to be confident that bodies that are in the town of Grantham are recovered."

"And people I hope will understand the pressure that the police are working under in these sorts of circumstances and be patient," she said. "They are working as hard as they can to be in a position to allow people back into Grantham as quickly as possible. "

The death toll previously stood at 16. Police said on Sunday morning that there were bleak prospective for the 14 missing people's fate. It was not yet clear if the newly-recovered woman victim in Grantham was among those on the list of missing.