Mississippi River Floods Iowa and Illinois, Testing Defenses
The rising Mississippi River is testing flood defenses in southeast Iowa and northwest Illinois, but officials are optimistic that improved floodwalls and other prevention measures will help most towns withstand the floodwaters. The peak water levels this spring will likely rank in the top 10 of all time in many places, but river levels will generally remain well below past records. Meanwhile, Florida and Virginia residents are cleaning up from weekend tornadoes.