Hundreds of residents were evacuated, dozens of levees were threatened, and transportation in parts of Missouri came to a near-standstill on Thursday as rivers in the Midwest swelled to historic levels, according to NBC News.

The waters surged after more than 10 inches of rain fell this week in an area spanning from Illinois to Missouri.

Hundreds of homes in the southwestern suburbs of St. Louis were damaged, and hundreds of other homes were evacuated in the wake of the powerful winter storm. Two rivers have risen to record levels set in the so-called "Great Flood" of 1993.

At least 22 people have been killed in Missouri and Illinois. Most of the deaths were in Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard earlier this week. The death toll in Illinois rose Thursday from seven to eight.

Source: MENA