Mississippi River Crests in Iowa, Testing Flood Defenses

Mississippi River water levels are rising to dangerous levels in parts of Iowa and Illinois due to melting snow.
Towns along the river have implemented flood prevention measures like floodwalls, sandbags and closing floodgates to avoid severe flooding.
The river is expected to crest at major flood stage in several locations, ranking among the top 10 crests of all time, but remaining below record flood levels.
Officials are optimistic improved infrastructure will help prevent catastrophic flooding, though they continue monitoring levels closely.
Flooding is expected to ease in coming weeks as the surge of water from melting snow moves further downriver.