These 12 Photos Show the Mississippi River Flooding That's Decimating Small Towns

Another area of the American midwest is submerged in perhaps unprecedented flooding, this time along the Missisippi River. Parts of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas were issued further flood watches this week, according to USA Today, as areas already battered by storms and rain faced another onslaught that threatened to reengage the river floodwaters that had started to recede. The conditions have hit hard in small towns like Davenport, Iowa, which saw the nearby Mississippi crest to a record-high of more than 22 feet last week. In Missouri, close to a dozen levees have been breached or are threatened. It's the culmination of Midwest flooding that, according to the Washington Post, has already caused $12 billion in damage this year. Here are some of the most striking photos for a glimpse of what it's like on the ground.