Parts of Missouri were inundated as "historic flooding" killed at least 13, Gov. Jay Nixon said Tuesday, as a powerful winter storm system barreled east across the United States.
The Mississippi River at St. Louis was poised for its second-highest crest on record Tuesday, with top-10 crests predicted all along the river's course from Missouri down to Louisiana, NBC News reported. In response, Nixon activated the Missouri National Guard Tuesday afternoon.
Tornadoes, blizzards, ice and heavy rains pounded much of the middle of the country over the past week, killing at least 53 people.
In Illinois, a correctional center was on lockdown with floodwaters looming, while Oklahoma braced for another round of snow after blizzard conditions killed five since Saturday, authoriteis said. And the storm promises a dangerous mix of more snow, sleet and floods as it takes aim on the northeast.
