Heavy rain has created flooding across the US Midwest, as rivers came out of their banks in Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio. Areas around small rivers have been hit worst, while the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers saw only minor flooding. More than 70 Missouri counties have reported flooding this week.

"The center of the flood fight now moves right here to the Meramec River and southern St. Louis County and Jefferson County," Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder said late Friday to AP.

Meanwhile, heavy snow has hit the upper Midwest, threatening to close again several airports in the area such as Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport which had to be closed overnight. In Ohio, Cleveland and Youngstown snow has reached about 7-8 inches and it is still rising.

Yesterday, a fresh snowstorm blew through parts of the Upper Midwest, canceling flights and some Good Friday services. "It was a hard decision but for the safety of everybody, especially of the elderly, we think it was prudent to make this decision," said yesterday to AP Rev. Jonathan Jacobs of Ascension Lutheran Church in Milwaukee.

The string of heavy rains and the floods caused by it have killed at least 13 people and made numerous damages in the central United States. President Bush declared this week the massive flood in Missouri a major disaster and ordered federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts in areas struck by the heavy rain storms.