Mississippi river expected to crest

Dangerous flooding could cause more damage along the Mississippi River on Tuesday, one day after hundreds of people in Missouri fled a broken levee. The Mississippi river at Saint Louis, Missouri, already has topped 12 meters - more than 3 meters above its flood stage. The biggest U.S. river is expected to crest Tuesday. More rain is forecast for the central U.S. states of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas over the next several days. While the Saint Louis area may not receive the heaviest rain, its location - where the Missouri River joints the Mississippi River - makes it vulnerable to rainwater rushing downstream from tributaries. Only five months ago, the Mississippi River was suffering from a severe drought. Since then, it has risen nearly 14 meters. On Monday, authorities urged about 300 residents to evacuate because of a levee breach in West Alton, Missouri. A bridge spanning the Mississippi River from West Alton to Alton, Illinois, was closed.