Mississippi River tops another levee

(CNN) - Missouri's St. Charles County and the city of St. Charles were under a flash flood warning Tuesday and local officials were assessing the damage after the Mississippi River went over a levee in two places.

"We thought we had a good handle on it until the river let loose and went over the top of Elm Point levee," said Dan Casey, a captain of the fire department and a public information officer for the city. "We had to evacuate the fire department and the National Guard, and right now we are in damage assessment mode."

Elm Point levee was the focal point of sandbagging efforts by volunteers on the northern end of the county. Around 2 a.m. Tuesday, water began overflowing at two locations. The National Guard, police and fire departments were initially protecting only a small number of homes and businesses, but the river is still on the rise.