Extreme Weather's video: Historic flooding Missouri 01 01 2016

Follow Extreme Weather on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtremeWeatherChannel Record floodwaters from the raging Mississippi river and its tributaries swamped several communities in Missouri Wednesday and forced the shutdown of portions of the Interstate-44 lifeline as the state braced for steadiy rising water to threaten more than a dozen levees. The Mississippi, Missouri and Meramec rivers all were at or near flood stage and some communities, especially in the southwest,were already flooded. The Mississippi River is expected to crest in downtown St. Louis Thursday at 43.7 feet, nearly 14 feet over flood stage. The rising water from the swollen river is expected to hit Memphis on Jan.3. At least 20 deaths over several days in Missouri and Illinois were blamed on flooding, mostly involving vehicles that drove onto swamped roadways, the Associated Press reported. Fourteen deaths occurred in Missouri, including the latest victim, whose vehicle was swept off the road in Crawford County. All but one of the Missouri victims have died when their vehicles drove into flooded roadways. In Illinois, Christian County officials said the latest deaths were a man and a woman found in floodwaters about 6 miles east of Edinburg. Officials say it appears they were trying to cross a flooded area. Police used cellphone location services to find them, but their minivan remains missing, the Associated Press reported. n Missouri, some areas have already been hit hard by the first wave of rising water. Rockaway Beach, located near Branson in southwest Missouri, was swamped by waters from the swollen White River. The tourist town of 800 "has just been demolished," Mayor Don Smith told KYTV. "It's devastating, and we are all so exhausted." The nearby Table Rock Dam experienced record-breaking flooding, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The agency reported 72,000 cubic feet of water per second is being released from the dam, which surpasses the previous record of 69,000 cubic feet of water, the Springfield News-Leader reported. In Valley Park, 15 miles southwest of St. Louis, authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation Wednesday as rising water was expected to breach a levee on the Meramec River. Mike Pennise, mayor of the town of 7,000 people, said up to 80% of local residents were already set to go by mid-morning, and some had already left. The Meramec's rising waters at Valley Park also shut down Interstate 44, a major artery that carries 100,000 cars daily as it slices southwest through the state from St. Louis. I-44 was also closed at Jerome, Mo., 100 miles to the southwest, from flooding on the Gasconade River. The shutdown of wide portions of I-44 not only snarled the daily commute, it played havoc with the hundreds of trucks who ply the route daily. Many drivers, paid by the mile, were stuck with few alternatives, or were forced to travel on back roads, on hilly sections, and on roads with no shoulder, and limited passing lanes, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. In some cases drivers were stranded because they weren't sure if their rigs would clear underpasses and bridges on some detour routes. Missouri transportation officials said more than 200 state highways were closed statewide because of high water. Epic Unease by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100406 Artist: http://incompetech.com/