Flooding in Missouri and Illinois shuts down highways and leaves at least 18 dead
Mississippi river expected to crest nearly 15ft above flood stage on Thursday at St Louis as high water in area rivers causes sewage to enter local waterways
GuardianUK
Tuesday 29 December 2015
A rare winter flood shut down portions of two interstates on Tuesday, threatened hundreds of homes and caused sewage to flow unfiltered into waterways.
Torrential rains over the past several days pushed already swollen rivers and streams to virtually unheard-of heights in parts of Missouri and Illinois. The Mississippi river is expected to crest at record levels in some areas south of St Louis later this week.
At least 18 deaths in Missouri and Illinois have been blamed on flooding, mostly involving vehicles that drove on to swamped roadways.
On Tuesday the river spilled over the top of the levee at West Alton, Missouri, about 20 miles north of St Louis. Mayor William Richter ordered any of the town’s approximate 520 residents who had not already evacuated to get out of harm’s way.
Interstate 44 was closed near the central Missouri town of Rolla, and a section of Interstate 70 was shut down in southern Illinois. Hundreds of smaller roads and highways were also closed across the two states, and flood warnings were in effect.
In St Louis, more than 100 volunteers turned out in blustery and cold conditions to fill sandbags where a flooded waterway threatened hundreds of homes.
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