We got up early again this morning and drove north from Quincy, Illinois toward a levee just breached in the farming community of Meyer. We covered at least 20 miles only to be stopped short by a police roadblock.

“Rick Leventhal with FOX News Channel,” I told the Sergeant after I pulled over and approached on foot.

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you through” he told me. “It’s too dangerous. The water is rising too fast.”

“What if we just drive to the water’s edge?” I asked. No dice.

“What if we just drive in, shoot some tape and drive back?” Nope.

“What if you escort us in?” Not happening.

“What if we rode in your car?” I pleaded. No again.

I understood he was doing his job. I thanked him and we climbed back in our SUV’s. We had to backtrack and cover another 70 or 80 miles south to the town of Louisiana, Missouri and then on to Clarksville for live shots schedule from 11a to 10p. Time was short. But as we headed back east towards the main drag we found a back road and turned north towards the breach. Just a few hundreds yards ahead the road was under water, along with fields of corn. Robert Lee shot some video while my producer Meredith and I tried to connect a live shot with our laptops. When that failed we quickly packed up and hit the road again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Downtown Louisiana, MO is a mess. The bridge over the Mississippi River to Illinois is closed. So is Route 79 which runs along the river, since now the river runs through it. At least 50 homes and 15 businesses are in or under water according to the chief of Police Jim Graham, who showed up while we shot Darin Davis and his wife and kids sandbagging his house on North Carolina Street between 3rd and 4th.

“We need help” he told me. “Volunteers are a must. We’re just going under fast.”. He pointed at his neighbor’s house. “They have about two feet before it goes over their wall. This guy here, he’s pumping like crazy. This is my best friend’s house. It’s, it’s bad.”

I promised I’d get the word out, we packed up and moved on to Clarksville, a whole ‘nother adventure.