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   Flooding along the Mississippi River is forcing some St. Charles County residents out of their homes.  That's because the Lincoln-Shield levee along the Mississippi River was breached Monday evening.  

   West Alton officials and the Rivers Pointe Fire Chief issued an alert about 8:30 p.m. advising residents to evacuate.  The evacuation order is voluntary, not mandatory.

   The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for eastern St. Charles County through 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The weather service also warned that “residents living on streams and creeks should take immediate precautions.”  

   The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that southbound Highway 67 was closed between the Clark Bridge and Highway 94 as a result of the flooding after a temporary barricade erected by MoDOT failed.  Northbound 67 remains open at this hour. 

LOUISIANA, Mo. (AP) - The rising Mississippi River is forcing closure of a bridge at Louisiana, Mo.

The Missouri Department of Transportation announced Friday morning that the Champ Clark Bridge on U.S. 54 would close at 7 p.m. Friday due to flooding on the bridge approach on the Illinois side.

The closure creates an inconvenience for travelers - the next nearest river crossing is at Hannibal, Mo., 35 miles to the north.

Heavy rain has caused the Mississippi, Missouri and many other Midwestern rivers to rise above their banks. Some towns are expected to see crests of more than 10 feet above flood stage by early next week.

   A man and his teenage son are safe after being rescued from the Mississippi River Tuesday evening.  

   About 6 p.m. the two had become stranded when their johnboat snagged on debris near the Ameren Rush Island power plant about 12 miles south of Crystal City.  

   The Coast Guard was unable to launch an immediate rescue operation because their nearby boat launches were all underwater.  

   Crews from the Jefferson County R-7 Fire Department did get a boat in the water and rescued the pair just before 8 p.m.  

   Both the father and his 15 year old son were treated for exposure, but are expected to recover.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A stretch of the Mississippi River near St. Louis is reopened to shipping after the Coast Guard concluded 11 barges that sank last weekend in the rain-swollen waterway weren't a hazard to navigation.

The 15-mile stretch was reopened Monday, while investigators continue trying to determine what caused 114 barges to break free Saturday night from where they were docked in St. Louis County.

Four of the barges hit the Jefferson Barracks Bridge spanning the river between Missouri and Illinois. Officials determined that the bridge was undamaged.

All of the barges that didn't sink were corralled.

Coast Guard Lt. Colin Fogarty says the breakaway could have been caused by various factors related to the elevated current of the rain-swollen river.

Fogarty says efforts to salvage the sunken barges will begin soon.

   A flood warning remains in effect for communities along the Mississippi River, including St. Louis.  

   As of 9:30 PM Sunday, the river was at at 33.7 feet in St. Louis, 3.7 feet above flood stage.

   The sight of so much water swamping the levy is drawing gawkers, locals as well as tourists, to the Arch grounds.

   Plenty of sightseers spent a sunny Sunday afternoon snapping pictures of the rising river, the water covering Lenore K. Sullivan Blvd. and the lower steps of the Arch just off the roadway.

   But the high river levels mean the current is so swift, huge logs and debris are being swept downstream, a reminder of why it is called the Mighty Mississippi.

   That strong current pulled more than 100 barges loose Saturday night, several hitting the JB Bridge, forcing its closure while an inspection was conducted.  MoDOT's check of the bridge showed no damage, so the span was reopened.  

   The river, however, remains closed to traffic because of concerns that some sunken barges may be blocking the navigation channel.  And more rain, expected Monday night and Tuesday, means it could be closed for some time.

   Flooding continues to be a problem in the St. Louis metro area as rain-swollen creeks remain out of their banks.  

   Now the National Weather Service is warning that the Mighty Mississippi will likely over-spill it's banks in the next few days.  A flood warning has been issued for communities along the river from Canton, Missouri -- north of Hannibal, to Chester, Illinois.  That warning includes the riverfront in St. Louis.  

   Officials say the Mississippi will rise above flood stage by Friday evening.  It's expected to crest at around 39.4 feet by Tuesday morning.