Midwest river flooding closes bridges

CLARKSVILLE, Mo. -- The fast-rising Mississippi River was making travel difficult yesterday, both on the river and for those trying to get across it.

The Mississippi, Missouri and other Midwestern rivers in at least six states have surged since torrential rains drenched the region over the past few days. At least two deaths resulted from flash flooding and a third was suspected, and a search was on in Indiana for a man whose car was swept away.

The National Weather Service predicted what it characterizes as major flooding on the Mississippi from the Quad Cities through just north of St. Louis over the weekend, with similar projections farther south into early this week. Some smaller rivers are expected to see record flooding.

People in and around Louisiana, Mo., about 95 miles north of St. Louis, were facing potential travel woes after the Champ Clark Bridge was closed yesterday because water had overtaken the approach on the Illinois side.

It was the second Mississippi River crossing to close in two days -- one of the two bridges at Quincy, Ill., closed Friday.

To get across the river, people in the Louisiana, Mo., area either had to drive 35 miles north to Hannibal, Mo., or 50-plus miles south to suburban St. Louis. Penny Scranton's normal 13-minute commute from Rockport, Ill., to the BP convenience store in Louisiana, Mo., turned into an hour and a half.

The store manager chose to look on the bright side: Her employer pays her mileage.

"There are others worse off," she said with a shrug.

Among those is Erica Campbell, whose rented home in a low-lying area was flooded for the second time in three years. This time, she's had enough. Campbell, 35, her husband and their eight kids are packing up.

"We're planning to move to the country -- as far away from water as I can get," Campbell said.