The historic Mississippi River flood: Before and after, from space

On the first day of 2016, the Mississippi River crested at its third-highest level on record in St. Louis. On  Jan. 2, the flood crested at a record level downstream from St. Louis at Cape Girardeau, Mo., where the river reached 48.86 feet — over six feet above major flood stage. Eleven levees were breached along the Mississippi River.

Though the water is beginning to recede in the Midwest, the giant bulge in the rivers will continue downstream over the next week