Rare winter flooding has left parts of the Midwest submerged as the bulging rivers and streams pushed to virtually unheard-of heights on Tuesday, shutting down highways. Millions of people are preparing for even more flooding as federal officials monitor levees on the Mississippi River, which is continuing to rise after several days of torrential rain.
At least 20 people have died over the past several days in Missouri and Illinois. The Mississippi River is expected to reach nearly 15 feet above flood stage on Thursday in St. Louis. This could be the second-worst flood on record, behind only the devastating 1993 flood. Missiouri has declared a state of emergency.
The bulge of water from the relentless rains during December will take weeks to wind its way through the intricate system of levees and dams meant to contain the Mississippi River and its tributaries, eventually winding up in the Gulf of Mexico. The Army Corps of Engineers is anxiously anticipating flood risks along that entire stretch of the river, as its infrastructure is tested from St. Louis southward, with many records likely to be set.
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