KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hundreds of homes flooded in several Midwestern states after rivers breached at least a dozen levees following heavy rain and snowmelt in the region, authorities said Monday while warning that the flooding was expected to linger.

About 200 miles of levees were compromised — either breached or overtopped — in four states, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. Even in places where the water level peaked in those states — Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas — the current was fast and the water so high that damage continued to pile up. The flooding was blamed for at least three deaths.

“The levees are busted and we aren’t even into the wet season when the rivers run high,” said Tom Bullock, the emergency management director for Missouri’s Holt County.

He said many homes in a mostly rural area of Holt County were inundated with 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters) of water from the swollen Missouri River. He noted that local farmers are only a month away from planting corn and soybeans.

“The water isn’t going to be gone, and the levees aren’t going to be fixed this year,” said Bullock, whose own home was now on an island surrounded by floodwater.

One couple was rescued by helicopter after water from three breached levees swept across 40,000 acres (62.5 square miles), he said. Another nine breaches were confirmed in Nebraska and Iowa counties south of the Platte River, the Corps said.

In nearby Atchison County, Missouri, about 130 people were urged to leave their homes as water levels rose and strained levees, three of which had already been overtopped by water. Missouri State Highway Patrol crews were on standby to rescue anyone who insisted on staying despite the danger.

“The next four to five days are going to be pretty rough,” said Rhonda Wiley, Atchison County’s emergency management and 911 director.

The Missouri River already crested upstream of Omaha, Nebraska, though hundreds of people remained out of their homes and water continued to pour through busted levees. Flooding was so bad around Fremont, Nebraska, that just one lane of U.S. 30 was uncovered outside the city of 26,000. State law enforcement limited traffic on that road to pre-approved trucks carrying gas, food, water and other essential supplies.

“There are no easy fixes to any of this,” said Fremont City Administrator Brian Newton. “We need Mother Nature to decrease the height of the river.”

In southwest Iowa, the Missouri River reached a level in Fremont County that was 2 feet (0.6 meter) above a record set in 2011. The county’s emergency management director, Mike Crecelius, said Monday that more water was flooding into low-lying parts of Hamburg, where a wall of sand-filled barriers was breached when one failed.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, touring flood-ravaged areas of the state for the second straight day, warned that flooding will worsen along the Mississippi River as snow melts to the north.

The National Weather Service said the river was expected to crest Thursday in St. Joseph, Missouri, at its third-highest level on record. Military C-130 planes were evacuated last week from nearby Rosecrans Air National Guard base.

In North Dakota, Fargo was preparing for potentially major flooding along the Red River — the same river that ravaged the city a decade ago.

The city declared an emergency and Mayor Tim Mahoney asked residents to help fill 1 million sandbags. That was in response to the National Weather Service warning that snowmelt poses a big risk in Fargo, which now stands a 90 percent chance of major flooding. Sandbag-filling operations begin March 26.

In Illinois, weather service readings showed major flooding along the Pecatonica River at Shirland and Freeport, and the Rock River in the Rockford area and Moline.

Freeport City Manager Lowell Crow said officials there expected the Pecatonica River “to possibly rise to a record level or at least to a level we haven’t seen in 50 years.”

The flooding started after a massive late-winter storm hit the Midwest last week. Among the victims was 80-year-old Betty Hamernik, whose body was recovered Saturday by divers after earlier rescue efforts failed because of the dangerous conditions, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reported about 100 flood-related road closures, including a stretch of Interstate 29.

Jud Kneuvean, the emergency manger with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers’ Kansas City district, blamed a combination of higher temperature, rainfall and snowmelt “converging all at the same time.”

No significant flooding was expected east of Kansas City, though Kneuvean said the Corps was watching weather forecasts closely.

“When you have a high river and have any forecast of rain on it, it can change the scenario very quickly,” Kneuvean said.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Saturday, of 40-year old Joleen Mary Most, from Corning. She was arrested at a residence in Shenandoah, on an Adams County Warrant for Harassment 3rd degree and 3 counts of Violation of no contact / protective order – contempt. Most was transported to Villisca where she was transferred to an Adams County Deputy, as there was no bond on the warrant.

The Atlantic Police Department reports three arrests from this past Friday, March 15th.

Officers arrested 27-year-old Mark Fredericksen of Atlantic for Simulated Public Intoxication, Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Institution, and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Atlantic Police also arrested 23-year-old Selena Herrera of Atlantic for Operating While Under the Influence 1st Offense. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Also on Friday Atlantic Police arrested 26-year-old Cody Mudd of Atlantic on a Montgomery County Warrant for Failure to Appear. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released into the custody of Montgomery County.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of the felony convictions of three top staffers on Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign. Campaign chairman Jesse Benton, campaign manager John Tate and deputy campaign manager Dimitri Kesari were convicted in 2016 of causing false records and campaign expenditure reports to be filed to the Federal Election Commission. Prosecutors say they tried to hide $73,000 in payments to former Iowa Sen. Kent Sorenson for his endorsement of Paul.

They argue that they broke no laws when they concealed the payments through a third-party campaign vendor. They have served their sentences but sought to clear their names of felony convictions. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld the convictions in May 2018. The Supreme Court on Monday denied their request to hear the case with no comment.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Barriers have been emplaced to protect some Cedar Rapids neighborhoods from floodwaters. The National Weather Service says the Cedar River is expected to crest later Monday at 18.5 feet. That’s nearly 3 feet into what the service says is major flood stage but nearly 13 feet below the 2008 record of 31.1 feet. The sand-filled barriers are arrayed along the west side of the river. Storm drains and manholes have been plugged in the neighborhoods. Any flooding isn’t expected to reach houses and businesses.

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The second leg of RAGBRAI was announced this (Monday) morning. Officials with the Des Moines Register report after an overnight stay in Atlantic on Sunday July 21st, thousands of bicyclists will head out Monday, July 22nd on their way to Winterset. Along the way, their trek will take them on White Pole Road to Wiota, Anita, Adair, Casey, Menlo, Stuart, Dexter and Earlham, before they take an overnight break in Winterset.

The complete route from Atlantic to Winterset will travel 68.1 miles and have 2,044 feet of climb.  As mentioned, a good chunk of the route will travel along the historic White Pole Road Scenic Byway, chock full of historical locations and interesting sites.  RAGBRAI will celebrate 100 Years of the American Legion and their outstanding contributions through service to the community, state and nation.  Monday’s route stops through seven communities with active American Legion Posts from Atlantic to Winterset.

RAGBRAI 17 (The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), is dedicated to one of the ride’s founders and Des Moines Register columnist, Donald Kaul, who died last July from prostate cancer.  For more info. on RAGBRAI: https://ragbrai.com/ragbrai-xlvii-route-monday-july-22-atlantic-to-winterset/?fbclid=IwAR1yctFV5Lc2orOMa50tKzRcZtA43k5u51S9MS8_-tqKpfY2jDI2uN-fZKc

The major flooding events in southwestern Iowa are impacting some water plants and wells, surrounding them by floodwaters or inundating them.

• Glenwood and Pacific Junction: The Glenwood Municipal Utility (GMU) water plant and wells are completely surrounded by floodwaters. Customers are being asked to only use water as necessary.  Please delay use of washing machines, dish washers, and other uses so that the system can maintain treatment. Mills County EMA was notified by MidAmerican Energy that power to the Glenwood Municipal Water Treatment Facility near Pacific Junction, would be de-energized due to quickly encroaching floodwater. MidAmerican Energy has determined that the flood waters are an imminent threat to their electrical infrastructure as well as the treatment facility. Officials with Glenwood Municipal Utilities have requested that, until further notice, all water use within their service area be restricted to indoor use only. It is recommended that residents cut water use by a minimum of fifty percent (50%). Residents should also postpone laundry and dishwashing, refrain from watering lawns, washing cars, and performing other high-volume water activities.
  Glenwood Municipal Utilities has advised that their current water storage facilities contain enough water to serve its customers for approximately two (2) days with unrestricted use. Water conservation by customers will help to extend this period and reduce potential shortages and further restrictions. Based upon current conditions, Mills County Emergency Management Agency, Glenwood Municipal Utilities, and MidAmerican Energy do not have an estimated duration for the restrictions.
• These restrictions affect the following areas: City of Glenwood; Pony Creek area; Lake Ohana area. If you have questions or concerns regarding water usage, please contact Glenwood Municipal Utilities at 712-527-4868. The City of Pacific Junction also receives water supply from GMU and users there are also urged to also conserve water. Parts of Pacific Junction are currently inundated by floodwaters.
• Hamburg: Additionally, the City of Hamburg has lost its water treatment plant due to flooding. Power was shut off to the water treatment plant around 5:00 p.m. yesterday and water began inundating the plant sometime this morning. Emergency management staff are providing bottled water to residents. The local hospital in Hamburg has been disconnected from the water treatment plant and is utilizing other sources.

All customers are being asked to only use water as necessary.  Please delay use of washing machines, dish washers, and other uses so that the system can maintain treatment.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reports several major corridors for vehicle travel remain closed in Western Iowa, due to flooding or flood damage. Among them:

• U-S Highway 59 one-mile south of Harlan to I-80 is still open to one-lane only. Temporary traffic lights are in-place.
• Interstate 680 in both directions, one-mile west of the Crescent area/I-29, and the Old Mormon Bridge Road into/out of Omaha.
• I-29 in both directions between N. 25th Street in Council Bluffs and Exit 71/I-680, one-mile south of Missouri Valley.
• I-29 in both directions from south of Bunge Avenue (Council Bluffs), to near Hamburg.
• Mills County Road H-10, from west of I-29 to Nebraska State Line.
• Highway 34 westbound, between I-29 near Pacific Junction, to the Nebraska State Line.
• Iowa Highway 2 in both directions (Fremont County) from Highway 275 to the Missouri River Bridge
• Iowa Highway 333 (Fremont County) in both directions between I-29 and U-S 275 at Hamburg.
• U-S 275 from the Missouri State Line to IA 333 (Near Hamburg)
• U-S Highway 169 between U-S 6 and Highway 44 (near Adel) is closed in both directions.
• Iowa 141 in both directions between Sloan and Smithland, in Monona County.

IVINS, Utah (AP) — Authorities say a teenage boy from southwest has died after falling inside Snow Canyon State Park in southwestern Utah. KUTV in Salt Lake City reports park officials say the incident happened Sunday afternoon. 13-year-old Elijah Baldwin, from Shenandoah, was free climbing with no ropes or equipment. The accident occurred at approximately 4:15 p.m. in the Pioneer Names area of the park. Park officials say he was dead at the scene. The boy was visiting his mother and two other children. The death remains under investigation. Baldwin was a 7th grader at Shenandoah Middle School. Shenandoah School District officials say grief counselors are available to talk to students and staff at the middle school this (Monday) afternoon from noon to 3 p.m. Funeral Services are pending. The Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home of Shenandoah is in charge of arrangements.

California Democratic 2020 Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign has announced the Senator’s Iowa Campaign Chair, Deidre DeJear, will travel Iowa to host or participate in a series of meet and greets to discuss Harris’ vision for the country. DeJear will visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Sioux City, and Council Bluffs to hear directly from local leaders and Democratic elected officials about the issues facing families in their communities.

Deidre DeJear will join Pottawattamie County Democrats for a “Drinking Liberally” meet-and-greet, 6-p.m. Thursday, March 21st, at Sugars Lounge and Diner (2725 E. Kanesville Blvd.), in Council Bluffs.

The campaign says “DeJear will discuss Harris’ plans to build an economy that works for all Iowans, guarantee access to health care, and take on challenges like climate change.” Harris is running a campaign that is organizing in every corner of the state and announced last week that she has supporters in all 99 Iowa counties. Kamala Devi Harris is an American attorney and politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from California since 2017.