The US Coast Guard has announced the closure of a five-mile section of the Mississippi River near Saint Louis.

The US Coast Guard has announced the closure of a five-mile section of the Mississippi River near Saint Louis.
The move is in view of hazardous conditions due to rising water levels, after storms and tornadoes lashed the region in recent days, killing thirteen people in Missouri alone.Reports say water from the Mississippi River engulfed buildings in the evacuated town of West Alton, north of Saint Louis.
The river levels are forecast to peak on Thursday, with warnings that the situation could get worse before it gets better.