13 people die and 10 million more are under flood warning as rising Mississippi River ravages parts of the Midwest
Ariel Zibe
- Parts of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee remain under flood warning on Sunday
- At least 13 people have died due to massive flooding caused by torrential rains that hit the region on Thursday
- National Weather Service issued flood warnings affecting 10 million people in areas near Mississippi River
At least 13 people have died due to flooding in the Midwest, authorities said Saturday as up to 10 million people living across six states remain under flood warning.
Weather experts said over the weekend that several areas along the Mississippi River were likely to see near-record crests, according to CNN.
The river's rise was likely to affect towns in places like Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Residents of towns in southern Illinois and southeast Missouri girded for record high crests that surpassed 45 feet.
So far, six people in Missouri and seven people in Arkansas have died due to the flooding.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the 69-year-old man was trying to cross a flooded road across Dry Fork Creek when his car was swept away Thursday night.
The main channel of the White River, bottom, flows out to adjacent land, top, as traffic flows over the Highway 38 bridge in Des Ark, Arkansas on Friday
Des Arc High School freshman Sam Loyd tosses a sandbag on a pile as he and classmates fill the bags in preparation for anticipated rising water along Main Street in downtown Des Ark on Friday
His body was recovered several hours later.
Heavy downpours that started last weekend have caused waterways to surge in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and other state
Many rivers are subsiding and some evacuated residents are being allowed to return home, though the Mississippi River is still rising in some areas.
The surging waters prompted the US Coast Guard to close a 77-mile stretch of the river in southern Illinois from Chester to Cairo late Thursday.