Sodden levee breaches, prompts evacuations

ST. LOUIS, June 27 (UPI) -- The Mississippi River broke through the Pin Oak levee north of St. Louis Friday, prompting emergency evacuations in areas of Winfield, Mo.

Residents of the river town woke to fire sirens blaring and rescue workers going door-to-door to get residents out of the area in the path of the flood waters, St. Louis radio station KMOX reported.

Crews' efforts to save the sodden levee failed when floodwater breached the southeast corner of the levee in the northern section of the Pin Oak Levee Basin, the radio station reported.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the eastern portion of Lincoln County until about noon Friday.

Forecasters said an expected round of rain could heighten fears of flooding.

Mississippi flood waters could swamp an additional 1,300 acres of farmland and about 100 homes in the southeast section of Winfield, the St. Louis Post-Gazette reported.The Mississippi already overflowed levees elsewhere, flooding nearly all of Foley and about 40,000 acres of land in Lincoln and Pike, and swamping other cities upriver from St. Louis.

In Illinois, sandbag levees began going up in Hardin, threatened by the rising Illinois River. Village Mayor Phil Gress said the effort should prevent significant damage, unless the river exceeds the 35.8-foot crest expected Saturday.