By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY
Bill Kirkpatrick had trouble finding words to describe his drive Thursday afternoon through his small Missouri town.

The lifelong resident and mayor of Piedmont, Mo., (pop. 1,950) said floodwaters that have overtaken much of the Midwest washed over his town, flooding every store on Main Street, damaging and destroying houses.

The waters of McKenzie Creek washed out part of a main bridge out of town and knocked out the city's water mains, he said. Dozens of people had to be re ...