Flooded areas of the Midwest are bracing for another round of heavy rain, the last thing they need with rivers in several places at or near record levels.
Heavy rain last weekend resulted in a sudden rise in rivers in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. After a couple of days of calm weather, forecasters expect 2 inches of rain or more in parts of the same hard-hit areas Wednesday through Thursday.
Missouri has gotten the worst of it so far. Five people have died in Missouri flooding, and several towns have sustained damage. Along the Meramec River in suburban St. Louis, thousands of sandbags are protecting homes and businesses in Eureka, and a levee is bulging at the seams in nearby Valley Park.
St. Louis County officials say 200 homes along the Meramec have been damaged and another 1,500 are potentially in harm's way.
