Widespread Flooding Brings Misery To Midwest

No immediate relief is in sight for a swath of the Midwest where heavy rain, melting snow and rising rivers have shuttered schools, closed roads and prompted several evacuations. With rainfall — totaling several inches — not expected to let up until the weekend, the National Weather Service has issued flood watches and flood warnings throughout the region including parts of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. The combination of rain and snowmelt has "many rivers nearing record flood stage from Chicago to Houston and areas to the east," said the Red Cross.