NewsDecember 31, 2015

Floodwaters continue to rise, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, nearing the record of 48.5 feet for Cape Girardeau, and forcing more people to evacuate.

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Scott Miller, right, and Ethan Caldwell wait for items to load into a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Scott Miller, right, and Ethan Caldwell wait for items to load into a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Ethan Miller takes a juice break while helping his great-grandmother evacuate her McClure, Illinois home, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Ethan Miller takes a juice break while helping his great-grandmother evacuate her McClure, Illinois home, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Members of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department escort an Ameren Missouri employee to shut off power to a portion of the Red Star District in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Members of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department escort an Ameren Missouri employee to shut off power to a portion of the Red Star District in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

A member of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department loads a boat on a trailer after escorting an Ameren Missouri employee out in the floodwater to shut off power to a portion of the Red Star District in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com A member of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department loads a boat on a trailer after escorting an Ameren Missouri employee out in the floodwater to shut off power to a portion of the Red Star District in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

A bear statue pokes its head out of the floodwater in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com A bear statue pokes its head out of the floodwater in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater from the Mississippi River continues to rise in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater from the Mississippi River continues to rise in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

A Robin sits on a patch of grass poking up from the floodwater in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com A Robin sits on a patch of grass poking up from the floodwater in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Jamell Austin and his children Lily, 5, and Lathen, 4, visit with American Red Cross volunteers as they make the children peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Jamell Austin and his children Lily, 5, and Lathen, 4, visit with American Red Cross volunteers as they make the children peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Lathen Austin, 4, and his sister Lily, 5, roll around in the grass as American Red Cross make the children peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Lathen Austin, 4, and his sister Lily, 5, roll around in the grass as American Red Cross make the children peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater from the Mississippi River continues to rise in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater from the Mississippi River continues to rise in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater from the Mississippi River continues to rise in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater from the Mississippi River continues to rise in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Scott Miller shines a flashlight into the back of a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Scott Miller shines a flashlight into the back of a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Dara Morris carefully walks on logs to avoid floodwater while taking her dog Harley and Kilo outside for a bathroom break, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau. Floodwater continues its climb around Morris' home she just purchased five months ago with her husband.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Dara Morris carefully walks on logs to avoid floodwater while taking her dog Harley and Kilo outside for a bathroom break, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau. Floodwater continues its climb around Morris' home she just purchased five months ago with her husband.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Dara Morris carries her dogs, Harley and Kilo, to take back inside after their bathroom break, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau. Floodwater continues its climb around Morris' home she just purchased five months ago with her husband.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Dara Morris carries her dogs, Harley and Kilo, to take back inside after their bathroom break, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau. Floodwater continues its climb around Morris' home she just purchased five months ago with her husband.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater spreads across the horizon as seen from the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater spreads across the horizon as seen from the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Jeff White, left, and Dave Hankammer load supplies into a boat near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Jeff White, left, and Dave Hankammer load supplies into a boat near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Jeff White carries supplies to take by boat to his business near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Jeff White carries supplies to take by boat to his business near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater from the Diversion Channel continues to creep closer to Interstate 55, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater from the Diversion Channel continues to creep closer to Interstate 55, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Jeff White ferries supplies to a business near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Jeff White ferries supplies to a business near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Jeff White ferries supplies to a business near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Jeff White ferries supplies to a business near the Dutchtown exit, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Mailboxes peak out from the floodwater north of the Dutchtown exit in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Mailboxes peak out from the floodwater north of the Dutchtown exit in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

A reflection of the Interstate 55 Exit 93B sign is distorted in the floodwater in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com A reflection of the Interstate 55 Exit 93B sign is distorted in the floodwater in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

David Benefield walks over Christmas decorations as he and Ethan Caldwell search for an outlet inside a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com David Benefield walks over Christmas decorations as he and Ethan Caldwell search for an outlet inside a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater cover Highway 74 heading towards Dutchtown, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater cover Highway 74 heading towards Dutchtown, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater cover Highway 74 heading towards Dutchtown, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater cover Highway 74 heading towards Dutchtown, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Floodwater cover Highway 74 heading towards Dutchtown, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Floodwater cover Highway 74 heading towards Dutchtown, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Garrett Metje walks over the closed bridge leading to the Diversion Channel fishing access near the Dutchtown exit in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Garrett Metje walks over the closed bridge leading to the Diversion Channel fishing access near the Dutchtown exit in Cape Girardeau, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

The sunset is reflected in the floodwater from the Diversion Channel, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com The sunset is reflected in the floodwater from the Diversion Channel, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

The sunset is reflected in the floodwater from the Diversion Channel, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com The sunset is reflected in the floodwater from the Diversion Channel, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Terry Honey, left, Blake Dale, center, and Lee Van Alstine help move furniture into a moving trailer while helping friends evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Terry Honey, left, Blake Dale, center, and Lee Van Alstine help move furniture into a moving trailer while helping friends evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Kyle Caldwell shines a flashlight into the back of a tractor trailer while helping evacuate his great-grandmother and her belongings in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Kyle Caldwell shines a flashlight into the back of a tractor trailer while helping evacuate his great-grandmother and her belongings in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

David Benefield and Scott Miller load furniture into the back of a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com David Benefield and Scott Miller load furniture into the back of a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Scott Miller looks for a spot to hang a shop light inside a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Scott Miller looks for a spot to hang a shop light inside a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Scott Miller, right, and Ethan Caldwell load furniture into a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Scott Miller, right, and Ethan Caldwell load furniture into a tractor trailer while helping family evacuate their home in McClure, Illinois, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Ethan Caldwell, left, watches as Blake Dale, center, and Lee VanAlstine carry out a headboard to load into a tractor trailer while evacuating Caldwell's great-grandmother from her McClure, Illinois home, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Ethan Caldwell, left, watches as Blake Dale, center, and Lee VanAlstine carry out a headboard to load into a tractor trailer while evacuating Caldwell's great-grandmother from her McClure, Illinois home, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.
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Floodwaters continue to rise, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, nearing the record of 48.5 feet for Cape Girardeau, and forcing more people to evacuate.

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