Water has come over the levee protecting the St. Louis area town of West Alton, Missouri.
The mayor on Tuesday ordered anyone who has not yet evacuated to get out immediately, according to KTVI-TV, Fox 2 in St. Louis.
About 520 people live in West Alton, a Mississippi River town about 20 miles north of St. Louis. Mayor William Richter urged evacuations over the weekend after it became clear the river would rise so high that the levee couldn't hold back the water.
West Alton is near the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
Additional levees downstream between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau are also predicted to be over topped. In the historic town of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, the levee constructed by the Army Corp of Engineers after the 1993 flood will only protect to 50 feet. The forecast is calling for 49.9 feet. The city is adding about 2 feet of dirt on top of the full length of the concrete structure, in an effort to save the city. Some of the buildings date back to the year 1735.
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