Photos: Historic floods hit Illinois, Missouri

Houses are surrounded by floodwater Dec. 31, 2015, in Arnold, Mo.

A baseball field in Eureka, Mo., is submerged in floodwater Dec. 30, 2015.

People use a canoe to navigate a flooded street Dec. 31, 2015, in Arnold, Mo.

Scott Davitz, from left, Eric Wright, Troy Masters, Jim Bready and Adam Gibbs pack sandbags around Pam Haley’s home Dec. 30, 2015, in Evansville, Ill.

Floodwaters from the Kaskaskia River cover parts of Main Street in Evansville, Ill., on Dec. 30, 2015.

Sandbags are packed to barricade shops along Liberty Street on Dec. 30, 2015, in Evansville, Ill.

Floodwaters from the Mississippi River are held back by a flood gate Dec. 30, 2015, in Prarie Du Rocher, Ill.

Water seeps through a flood gate on Dec. 30, 2015, in Prarie Du Rocher, Ill.

Homes are surrounded by floodwaters Dec. 30, 2015, in Pacific, Mo. Rare winter flooding threatened nearly two dozen federal levees in Missouri and Illinois as rivers rose, prompting evacuations in several places.

A resident canoes down a street submerged in floodwater from the Meramac River on Dec. 30, 2015, in Arnold, Mo. The St. Louis area and surrounding region are experiencing record cresting of the Mississippi, Missouri and Meramac rivers after days of record rainfall.

Floodwaters cover Interstate 44 on Dec 30, 2015, in Valley Park, Mo. Rare winter flooding threatened nearly two dozen federal levees in Missouri and Illinois as rivers rose, prompting evacuations in several places.

Equipment is surrounded by floodwaters Dec. 30, 2015, in Valley Park, Mo. Rare winter flooding threatened nearly two dozen federal levees in Missouri and Illinois as rivers rose, prompting evacuations in several places.

Residents launch a boat to go check on a home in a mobile home park flooded by waters from the nearby Big River on Dec. 30, 2015, near High Ridge, Mo. Historic rainfall across the Midwest has pushed the Meramec and Big rivers in Missouri to record levels.

Vehicles and homes sit in floodwaters from the nearby Big River in a mobile home park Dec. 30, 2015, near High Ridge, Mo.

Residents watch as floodwaters from the nearby Meramec River fill the traffic lanes of Interstate 44 and Missouri State Route 141 on Dec. 30, 2015, near Valley Park, Mo.

John Tosti, owner of Tosti’s Transmission, wades into the floodwater after inspecting his business Dec. 30, 2015, in Fenton, Mo.

Floodwaters from the nearby Meramec River fill the traffic lanes of Interstate 44 and Missouri State Route 141 near Valley Park, Mo., just west of St. Louis, on Dec. 30, 2015.

A worker stacks sandbags outside a business Dec. 30, 2015, in Fenton, Mo.

People stand on a hill to get a better look at floodwaters from the Bourbeuse River on Dec. 29, 2015, in Union, Mo.

Jason Fitzgibbons, center, helps fill sandbags with other volunteers Dec. 29, 2015, in St. Louis. Flooding across Missouri has forced the closings of hundreds of roads and threatened homes.

Floodwaters from the Bourbeuse River surround businesses Dec. 29, 2015, in Union, Mo.

Floodwaters from the Bourbeuse River surround businesses in Union, Mo., on Dec. 29, 2015.

Against a gray winter sky, volunteers use shovels to help fill sandbags Dec. 29, 2015, in St. Louis.