U.S. Midwest braces for more flooding as rain-swollen rivers rise

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Missouri and Illinois were bracing for
more flooding on Thursday as rain-swollen rivers, some at record
heights, overflowed their banks, washing out hundreds of
structures and leaving thousands of people displaced from their
homes.
Days of downpours from a winter storm that spawned deadly
tornadoes in Texas and significant snowfall in New England has
pushed rivers in the U.S. Midwest to levels not seen in decades,
the National Weather Service and local officials aid.
At least 24 people have died, mostly from driving into
flooded areas in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Oklahoma after
storms dropped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain, officials said.
Flooding has destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and
overflowing rivers could menace Southern states as the water
moves downstream toward the Gulf of Mexico, the National Weather
Service said.
"Floodwaters will move downstream over the next couple of
weeks, with significant river flooding expected for the lower
Mississippi into mid-January," the NWS said.
Water rose to the rooftops of some structures in Missouri
towns. Governor Jay Nixon spoke with President Barack Obama on
Wednesday and received a pledge of federal support.
Two rivers west of St. Louis crested at historic levels,
flooding local towns, disabling sewer plants and forcing
hundreds of residents from their homes.
Some evacuees stayed with family or friends or went to
hotels, while others found refuge in Red Cross shelters set up
in the area.
The Mississippi River, the third longest river in North
America, is expected to crest in the next few days in Thebes,
Illinois, at 47.5 feet, more than a foot and a half (46 cm)
above the 1995 record, the National Weather Service said.
Several levees, including one along the Meramec River near
St. Louis, were at risk of a breach, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
said.
Periods of below-freezing air in coming days will cause some
flooded areas in Missouri and Illinois to turn icy, adding to
the clean-up challenges, the forecasting site AccuWeather
reported.