Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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June 19, 2008

Bush to Visit Flood-Ravaged Towns in US Midwest 
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1CC4186:A6F02AD83191E160BEB080032E3CD30198CBE7246176B735&
 
Surging Mississippi River has swamped nearly two dozen levees along
waterway, submerging dozens of small towns in Iowa and the neighboring
states of Illinois and Missouri 
U.S. President George Bush will travel to Iowa Thursday to get a a
first-hand look at the damage caused last week when the Mississippi
River swelled and spilled over its banks.A flag flies in front of a
flooded home in the small town of Oakville, Iowa, 17 Jun 2008The surging
river has swamped nearly two dozen levees along the waterway, submerging
dozens of small towns in Iowa and the neighboring states of Illinois and
Missouri. The floods have also destroyed thousands of hectares of
agricultural crops, including corn and wheat, a loss experts fear will
trigger higher food prices.Residents have joined members of the National
Guard in a desperate effort to fill sandbags needed to shore up
threatened levees. Concerns over pollution are also growing, as the
floodwaters carried chemicals and raw sewage from damaged factories and
wastewater plants. 

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.


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