Levees in Danger as Midwest Flooding Continues

"Mississippi River floodwaters threaten to overwhelm levees in more than two dozen river towns in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, where some communities continue to rely on decades-old flood controls that fall short of modern-day guidelines."

"In Canton, where floodwaters are forecast to crest Thursday, volunteers used boards and sandbags to raise the top of the 44-year-old, 3-mile-long levee that shields much of the town. It was built to withstand floodwaters up to 27.5 feet, but the National Weather Service predicted Tuesday that the Mississippi would peak there at 27.7 feet."

"Similar scenes played out along the Mississippi from southern Iowa to St. Louis — a stretch where the Army Corps of Engineers identified 27 levees that are at risk of being topped by waters."