Flood-weary residents of Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio were fighting to save their homes after heavy rain pushed rivers out of their banks. Residents of Valley Park, a town on the Meramec River, were hoping that the community's new earthen levee, built to withstand a 100-year flood, will pass its first big test. The surging Meramec was expected to crest Saturday at a record 40 feet (12 meters) _ 24 feet (7.2 meters) above flood stage and within three feet (90 centimeters) of the levee's lip. In addition to this past week's rain, a lingering storm blew more snow through parts of the Upper Midwest on Saturday. More than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow fell Friday in parts of southern Wisconsin and nearly as much blanketed southeastern Minnesota. Cleveland and Youngstown each had 7 inches (18 centimeters) of snow and counting by Saturday, while Toledo had 4 inches (10 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service. The blast came two weeks after the Cleveland area saw a foot (30 centimeters) of snow. At least 16 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past week, and two people are missing since their vehicles were swept away by rushing water in Arkansas.
