Swollen Missouri River spurs new evacuations

The Missouri River broke through levees at two points early Sunday, causing more resident evacuations.NEW: Official raises concern about projected high water flowsAbout 250 people are affected by the latest orders and advisoriesA local official in northwestern Missouri says the river has already topped a 1993 record

(CNN) -- The swollen Missouri River washed over and punched through levees in northwestern Missouri early Sunday, spurring authorities to urge about 250 nearby residents to leave their homes.

The river breached levees at two points overnight and overtopped them at two others near Corning, Missouri, about 100 miles north of Kansas City, the Holt County Sheriff's Department reported. Most residents had already cleared out due to voluntary evacuation calls, but authorities went door-to-door early Sunday to order nearly 30 people who remained to leave, the agency told CNN.

Upriver, evacuation advisories went out for 200 to 250 people in the town of Watson and other areas west of Interstate 29, said Mark Manchester, the deputy emergency management director in Atchison County. Water was sloshing over the levees "at a pretty good clip" Sunday morning and had already topped the county's previous record mark, set in 1993, he said.

"We're in uncharted waters here," Manchester said.

The Missouri was more than 11.5 feet over flood stage at nearby Brownville, according to National Weather Service data.

And across the state line in Hamburg, Iowa, where two levees failed last week, the river was expected to crest at 10 feet over flood stage in the coming days, Fremont County Emergency Management chief Mike Crecelius said.

Crecelius said the river has been over flood stage since late April, and that forecasters are projecting river flows of 150,000 cubic feet (1.1 million gallons) per second through August.

"They're not designed for this amount of pressure for this length of time," Crecelius said. "They've never been tested like this."

Heavy rainfall in Montana and North Dakota, combined with melting snow from the Rocky Mountains, have sent the Missouri surging downstream, according to the National Weather Service. The 6 to 12 inches of rainfall in the upper Missouri basin in the past few weeks is nearly a normal year's worth, and runoff from the mountain snowpack is 140% of normal, the agency says.

CNN's Matt Smith and Divina Mims contributed to this report.

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Levee breach near the Missouri-Iowa border prompts evacuations

(CNN) -- A levee breach along the swollen Missouri River prompted the evacuation Sunday of about 600 people in the area between the river and Hamburg, Iowa, officials said.

Residents were told they needed to leave within 24 hours.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported the breach occurred Sunday morning on a levee located in Atchison County, Missouri, near Hamburg.

Crews worked furiously to repair the breach, which Gen. Derek Hill, head of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, described as a boil, believed to be less than two inches in diameter.

He said the evacuation order was made as a precaution, in case the boil develops into a full-blown breach.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for southwest Iowa Sunday. If the levee fails, Interstate 29 and parts of Hamburg would likely be flooded, it said.

The cause of the breach was not immediately clear.

Crews were using a helicopter to pick up sandbags and fly them out over the levee, Hill said.

"No guarantees, but we certainly hope it will (work)," he said, noting the technique has been used before.

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The levee breach follows weeks of high flows and record releases from dams in Montana and the Dakotas, according to the Corps. Heavy rains and snow pack runoff could result in near-record flooding along parts of the Missouri River this year.

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Evacuations, clashes in Yemeni capital

Yemeni anti-government protesters call for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down from office on Saturday, May 28.NEW: Three French humanitarian workers were kidnapped Saturday, source saysGunfire erupted in the Yemeni capital after mediation deadline expiresMediation efforts were meant to stem clashes between tribal groups and governmentSome Yemeni residents ordered to evacuate parts of their capital city

(CNN) -- Sporadic gunfire erupted in the Yemeni capital early Saturday evening, just moments after a mediation deadline expired without a peace agreement between the country's long-time president Ali Abdullah Saleh and tribal factions, according to witnesses and a senior tribal leader involved in mediation efforts who was not authorized to speak to the media.

The deadline had been set for 6 p.m. (11a.m. EST) and was meant to stem a rash of recent violence between the country's tribal groups and government security forces, both now poised in a standoff in-and-around the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

Witnesses described "light clashes" between the two sides, roughly 30 minutes after the deadline had expired.

Some residents had heeded calls to evacuate parts of their capital city Saturday in expectation of further clashes between the two groups, but most remained firmly entrenched in their homes, according to witnesses.

The order was carried out by members of the country's Republican Guard and law enforcement, who warned residents in city neighbourhoods of more confrontations after tensions flared Friday between Nehm tribesmen and soldiers of the Republican Guard.

The tribesmen said the soldiers attacked a village, but tribal fighters, battling back, managed to take over military compounds.

Elsewhere, three French humanitarian workers were kidnapped Saturday in the southern city of Say'oon, according to a senior Interior Ministry official in that city.

Meanwhile, armed tribesmen were seen massing at four locations around Sanaa, witnesses said, as well as near the house of Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, the leader of the powerful al-Hashid tribe whose forces oppose the government.

A leading opposition group -- the Islah party -- issued a statement Saturday warning the government against any attack against the Al-Ahmar residence.

Tribesmen also gathered near the offices and the businesses of leading opposition officials, they said.

The standoff comes on the heels of five large explosions heard outside the al-Hashid tribal chief's home Friday evening.

On the government side, security forces on Saturday could be seen positioned outside government buildings, Sanaa International Airport, houses of ruling party officials and along main streets of the capital, witnesses said.

Nearly every main street in Sanaa has a checkpoint manned by security forces, they added.

Snipers were also perched on roof tops, particularly near the Presidential Palace, Republican Palace and the Central Security Forces headquarters located inside the capital.

The moves come one day after Yemen air force combat jets bombed tribal forces opposed to the embattled Yemeni president, according to a senior defense official.

At least seven air force bombers were deployed east of Sanaa to the district of Nehm, where two military compounds had been overtaken earlier by tribal fighters, said the official, who was not identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Ahmed Soufi, a senior advisor to Saleh, said 18 people were killed in the fighting.

Witnesses in Nehm said the air-strikes were carried out in several areas of the province northeast of Sanaa, including Al-Fartha Thoma and Beni Shokan.

Clashes in Nehm -- a district with approximately 35 tribes, though not affiliated with al-Hashid -- have been going on for the past month, but erupted this week after tribesmen were barred from entering Sanaa.

Abdul Makik Ali, a Nehm tribal fighter said at least seven tribes joined to fight the Yemeni soldiers Friday.

The recent fighting has raised fears of a full-blown civil war in Yemen, an impoverished, arid and mountainous nation that has been a key U.S. ally in the battle against the al Qaeda terrorist network.

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Mississippi floods force evacuations

Krotz Springs, Louisiana (CNN) -- Residents of towns along the swollen Mississippi River on Sunday packed up their valuables and made last-ditch efforts to place sandbags and makeshift levees outside their homes, trying to protect themselves and their homes from rising waters.

"I have never experienced anything like this in my life," said Brett Ansley, 24, as he was hitching up his trailer home in Krotz Springs, Louisiana, to move it to higher ground. "It's crazy. It's unreal."

These efforts occurred as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened two additional gates Sunday morning on the Morganza spillway, located about 115 miles northwest of New Orleans. This is after opening the first two bays the previous day.

A collective gasp as Louisiana town braces for flood

The plan is to let out water from as many as one-fourth of the spillway's 125 bays to spare the Louisiana cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans from severe flooding, Corps spokesman Ricky Boyett has said. But it maystill affect nearly 4,000 people who live along the river, as it sends water toward homes and farmland in the Atchafalaya Basin, according to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

"At this time, we are currently monitoring the river, but it is too early to know if additional gates will be opened today," Boyett wrote in an e-mail to CNN.

Some of the spillway's gates will likely be open for weeks, and it'll be at least that long before the river falls safely below flood stage and those who have evacuated can safely return, said Col. Ed Fleming, the Corps' New Orleans district commander.

Stars talk about the flooding and response

Fleming said the decision to open the spillway, along with similar decisions made in recent weeks as the floodwaters moved southward, was done to address a historic excess of water in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. While the spillways will divert water away from Louisiana cities, low-lying central parts of the state will be flooded.

Across the South and lower Midwest, floodwaters have already covered about 3 million acres of farmland, eroding for many farmers what could have been a profitable year for corn, wheat, rice and cotton, officials said.

Authorities in St. Landry Parish issued a mandatory evacuation that affected about 2,000 people -- including about 750 people living in 240 homes in Krotz Springs. Residents in other areas were under a voluntary evacuation, with authorities encouraging but not ordering them to leave.

Don Menard, the parish's president, said Sunday afternoon that water levels in Krotz Springs appear lower than expected -- though he said he thought they'd rise considerably after midnight, and especially if and when more floodgates are opened.

NBA's Grizzlies inspired by fans in flooded Memphis

"It's the fear of the unknown," Menard said, noting estimates that the water could rise 10 to 15 feet in spots. "These are predictions, no one knows for sure what will happen."

CNN iReporter Faisal Abou-Shahla posted a video of flooded homes in St. Francisville, Louisiana, about 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. He said he shot the video on Saturday, after the first gate was opened on the spillway. Abou-Shahla said he lives in Baton Rouge and was visiting his fiancee's parents in St. Francisville.

Some city residents "were waiting until the last second to leave," he said Sunday, while others used whatever they could to try to minimize damage to their homes for when the high waters roll in.

"There were a few seemingly futile attempts to put sandbags up," said Abou-Shahla.

Following the opening of the spillway, the National Weather Service revised its flood forecasts and lowered projected cresting levels in some Louisiana towns. Forecasters also said the river may crest earlier than first thought in some areas.

"The river at Baton Rouge through New Orleans will crest sooner than upstream locations due to Morganza spillway operations," said the latest forecast, issued Saturday. "After crests, stages will remain at the same levels and New Orleans will fluctuate near flood stage while Bonnet Carre and Morganza are operated."

Authorities previously opened gates on the Bonnet Carre spillway, located upstream from Morganza.

Already on Sunday, waters in Vicksburg, Mississippi, had reached record levels of 56.2 feet , the weather service reported. This is well above the 43-foot flood stage, but still short of the forecasted crest of 57.5 feet on Thursday. Levels in Natchez, further south downriver, were two feet higher than the record set in 1937 on Sunday, but just under three feet shy of the 63-foot crest expected Saturday.

The weather service said the river was also cresting Sunday in New Orleans and Reserve, Louisiana, because of the spillway operations. At Reserve, the river was cresting at 28.2 feet, above the historic 1929 flood level of 26 feet. At New Orleans, however, the crest was 17 feet, about four feet below the historic level of 1922.

Spillways explained

Residents were counting on a levee for protection. In addition to the mainline levee along the river, starting near Vicksburg and extending northeast for more than 20 miles, a so-called backwater levee offers shelter.

The backwater levee is designed to keep water from backing into the Yazoo River delta and is designed lower than the mainline levee so that water can flow over it.

Peter Nimrod, the Mississippi Levee Board's chief engineer, said Sunday there was a "remote" chances the levees could be breached, though he expressed confidence they would hold. Even if it stays intact, the expectation is excess water will rush over them for several days.

"There will be a lot of sleepless nights, when this thing starts overtopping," Nimrod said. "It will be a very stressful time for everyone."

CNN's Ed Lavandera, Martin Savidge, Justin Lear, Jacqui Jeras and Ashley Hayes contributed to this report.

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Ecuador volcano triggers evacuations

An explosion of Tungurahua volcano can be seen from Guadalupe observatory in Tungurahua province, Ecuador, Tuesday.Ash rises more than 7 kilometers in the air above the volcanoEcuador's geophysics institute says damage to farms and health are evidentThe volcano has erupted periodically since 1999Tungurahua means "throat of fire" in the native Quechua language

(CNN) -- Authorities in Ecuador closed schools and evacuated residents in areas near a volcano Tuesday after ashes spewing from its crater fell on homes and farms, state media reported.

Ashes from Tungurahua -- which means "throat of fire" in the native Quechua language -- rose more than 7 kilometers (4 miles) into the air Tuesday, the government news agency said.

Authorities issued an alert as monitors detected six eruptions, ranging from moderate to large, and a significant ash cloud Tuesday, state media said.

"According to our observations, damages to crops, pastures and small effects to the health of people are already evident," the country's geophysics institute said.

Officials first detected increased activity in the volcano April 20, with monitors observing regular small eruptions of ash and gas.

The glacier-capped, 16,478-foot volcano has erupted periodically since 1999, when increased activity led to the temporary evacuation of the city of Banos at the foot of the volcano.

Tungurahua erupted in December, sending ash and lava spewing nearly a mile into the sky.

Major eruptions also occurred in August 2006 and February 2008, according to the government's emergency management agency.

Before the recent activity, the last major eruption was between 1916 and 1918. Relatively minor activity continued until 1925, the Smithsonian Institution said on its volcano website.

The volcano is 140 kilometers (86 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador's capital.

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