The U.S. government said Wednesday that 20 to 30 more levees may be breached by the swollen Mississippi River from Iowa south to St. Louis. The river ran over at least nine more levees Wednesday as floodwaters swallowed more U.S. farmland, feeding inflation fears as corn prices soared to another record high. Twenty levees already have been breached this week, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The other levees could overflow if sandbagging efforts fail to raise the height of the levees. The levees in danger protect rural, industrial, and agricultural areas—not heavily populated towns. Levees protecting large towns are not at risk of overflowing, officials said. The slow-moving disaster, the worst central U.S. floods for 15 years, has flooded vast sections of the farm belt and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. Estimates are that 5 million acres have been ruined and will not produce a crop this year, sending U.S. grain and livestock prices soaring, along with concerns about food-price inflation. Record-breaking storms and flooding across six states this month are still forcing thousands of people be evacuated. Since June 6, there have been 24 deaths and 148 injuries attributed to the storms and flooding, according to the government. In the flooded areas, some food-processing plants are expected to be shut down, and officials expect river transportation to be closed for at least a week.
