Flooded Mississippi River to crest at St. Louis Today

"How high's the water, momma?" "It's 38 ft. high n risin..."

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (Reuters) - Levees on the cresting Mississippi River held on Sunday as the worst U.S. Midwest flooding in 15 years began to ebb, but multibillion-dollar crop losses may boost world food prices for years.

The swollen river was expected to crest on Monday in St. Louis at 38.9 feet, 11 feet below the record set in 1993 and a level considered "manageable," said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District spokesman Alan Dooley.

"The crest in the areas up the Mississippi River in the district has passed," Dooley said. "The water is still up very high and it is up against levees."

There were no fresh levee breaks reported on Sunday.

But the horrible cost in lives, property, and money continues to mount all over the Mid-West.

Since mid-May, storms and severe weather have killed at least 24 people, flooded more than 3.4 million acres of land and caused billions of dollars of damage to crops. U.S. President George W. Bush declared more than 103 counties in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa disaster areas, making them eligible for federal assistance.

FEMA is bringing 100 mobile homes into Iowa from Arkansas and Maryland to shelter families, and as many as 700 units may be needed, said Bill Vogel, the federal coordinating officer for Iowa..

The agency has paid more than $115 million to homeowners in three states to help rebuild.

The economic ripple effect on food is just starting.

Fears that as many as 5 million acres of corn and soybeans have been lost to flooding in the world's largest grain and food exporter pushed corn and livestock prices to record highs in the last week.

The ripple inflation effect on global food prices as U.S. prices soar has alarmed everyone from central bankers to food aid groups. Fears that livestock herds will be culled because of soaring corn feed prices may push meat prices up for years.

Flood aid and relief issues also poured into the political arena.

Of course.

But, as George notes, what hasn't been seen, besides the preening BDS political opportunists out of hollyweird, are the rampant reports of the various 'looting louies' across the heartland.

1. We don't see looting.
2. We don't see street violence.
3. We don't see people sitting on their rooftops waiting for the government to come and save them,
4. We don't see people waiting on the government to do anything.
5. We don't see people blaming President Bush.
6. We don't see people ignoring evacuation orders.
7. We don't see the US Senators or the Governor of Iowa crying on TV.
8. We don't see gangs of people going around and randomly shooting at the rescue workers.