Levee topped, streets begin to flood in Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Floodwaters from the Missouri River have topped a levee at Jefferson City and shut down some streets around the state Capitol as residents continue cleaning up from a powerful tornado.

The flooding Friday had been forecast following heavy rain throughout the Midwest earlier in the week. Yet it still caught some people by surprise, as it came on a hot sunny day. The city's airport had already been evacuated, but other residents and workers drove precariously through flooded roads in north Jefferson City to escape the rising waters.

The Capitol building sits on a bluff on the south side of the river and is not in danger of flooding.

The tornado that struck just before midnight Wednesday also spared the Capitol but tore a three-mile path through the city.
