The Mississippi River and its tributaries are well above flood stage in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa , and waters in some areas are expected to continue rising in coming days. Even as floodwaters crest later in the week, no one is sure how long it will take for the river to recede. His car stalled and he was swept away by the fast-moving current. We constantly warn against driving into moving water, because the consequences are just too dire. The best advice I can give about flood water is to stay away from it.
Trucks deliver sandbags to volunteers building makeshift dikes along rising rivers.
A 403-mile portion of the Mississippi remains closed to boat and barge traffic, from Muscatine, Iowa, to Minneapolis, Minn. Amtrak and Burlington Northern Santa Fe shut down rail service from Chicago to Minneapolis because of flooded train tracks. The flood forecast hinges on how much rain the upper Midwest receives this week and next. More rainfall will mean standing floods for several days after the river crests, putting further pressure on already-strained levees and dikes. Still, emergency management officials are cautiously optimistic. The worst is behind us.