[Al Skierkiewicz]

Things in the upper midwest have gotten really bad. Wisconsin has had severe flooding that comprimised the earthen dam holding back water for Lake Delton and that gave way last week emptying the lake. My son was driving up to Minnesota on Friday and spent several hours getting around closed sections of 90/94 north of Madison. The Fox River which flows through southern Wisconsin into Illinois, is extremely high comprimising towns all along it's banks through areas north and west of Chicago. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is having severe flooding and although some of the water has receded, what is left is so contaminated, people are not being allowed back to assess the damage to their homes and businesses. Several locks on the Missippi River have been closed to navigation due to the high water and towns downstream are now facing flooding as the water moves south. Illinios National Guard troops are sandbagging in Quincy, IL, north of St. Louis because levees have been topped north of town.