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• In response to large-scale flooding in the Midwest during June 2008, towns along the Mississippi River scrambled to build levees against the rising floodwaters. As rivers continued to swell, many levees gave way under the pressure.The Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)

• Fast Facts

  1. June 27, 2008: Muskrat holes cause a levee in Lincoln County, Missouri, to failCNN: Floodwaters breach Mississippi River levee (June 27, 2008)
  2. June 20, 2008: Water levels maintained at 37 feet in St. Louis, falling short of 1993 records.Bloomberg.com: Mississippi Breaches Levees, Crests Short of Records (June 19, 2008)
  3. June 19, 2008: 20 levees breached and 30 more threatened.
  4. June 18, 2008: Levee breached near Meyer, IllinoisThe Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)
  5. June 17, 2008: Levee broke near towns of Burlington, Iowa and Gulfport, Illinois
  6. Levee break forced the closure of the Great River Bridge, which joins the two communitiesABC News: 27 Flooding Closes Bridge Between Iowa and Illinois (June 17, 2008)
  7. Several residents rescued from rising floodwatersABC News: 27 Flooding Closes Bridge Between Iowa and Illinois (June 17, 2008)
  8. Millions of sandbags being placed to try and shore up leveesThe Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)
  9. Officials said there was "no way to tell" if the 27 levees at risk would breakThe Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)
  10. The Mississippi River was expected to crest later in the weekThe Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)
  11. Towns at high risk for record flooding: Hannibal, Missouri, and Quincy, IllinoisCNN: Mississippi River Towns Rush Against Rising Water (June 18, 2008)
  12. Moderate flooding possible in St. Louis, Missouri, and Alton, IllinoisCNN: Mississippi River Towns Rush Against Rising Water (June 18, 2008)
  13. Parts of the Midwest hit by major floods in June 2008
  14. Damage estimates from Midwest flooding: more than $1.5 billionThe Associated Press: Ill. Levee Breach Forces Small Town's Evacuation (June 18, 2008)

• Levee Breaks

  On June 17, 2008, a levee break near the town of Gulfport, Illinois, left thousands of acres of land under water and forced the closure of the Great River Bridge between Gulfport and Burlington, Iowa. ABC News: 27 Flooding Closes Bridge Between Iowa and Illinois (June 17, 2008) Several residents had to be evacuated from the area by boat and by helicopter.The Associated Press: Bridge Partly Closed Between Iowa, Illinois (June 17, 2008)

  By June 20, 14 levees had been breached in Missouri alone. In St. Louis, the waterline was at 37.03 feet&mdashl;lower than expected—but 40 miles upstream in rural Winfield, only 25 of the town's 700 residents remained in their homes.Bloomberg.com: Mississippi Breaches Levees, Crests Short of Records (June 19, 2008) The three levees breached in Winfield were reported to have eased conditions elsewhere along the river. As the water drained back to the Mississippi, however, levels were expected to rise again.Bloomberg.com: Mississippi Breaches Levees, Crests Short of Records (June 19, 2008)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Great River Bridge Closure | Midwest Flooding June 2008 | Floods | Mississippi River | Iowa | Illinois | Missouri

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