Southern US states braced for floods as Mississippi nears record crest

As water levels recede in Missouri and Illinois, communities prepare for possible flooding and Exxon Mobil closes a refinery near Memphis Residents of southern states along the Mississippi river are braced for the flooding that has swamped communities in Illinois and Missouri over the last week, causing thousands of evacuations and killing at least 29 people. Related: Rivers begin to recede in Missouri and Illinois as record flooding persists