▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁heavy ▁ra inf all ▁and ▁mel ting ▁snow ▁caused ▁a ▁flo od ▁that ▁closed ▁the ▁Ohio ▁and ▁Mississippi ▁rivers ▁to ▁navigation ▁and ▁prompt ed ▁ev acu ation ▁of ▁C airo ▁due ▁to ▁concerns ▁that ▁its ▁flo od ▁protection ▁le ve es ▁might ▁fail . ▁To ▁protect ▁C airo , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers ▁opened ▁the ▁Bird s ▁Point - New ▁Madrid ▁Flo od way , ▁which ▁lower ed ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁by ▁flo oding ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁acres ▁of ▁far ml and ▁in ▁Missouri . ▁The ▁flo od ▁caused ▁$ 3 6 0 ▁million ▁of ▁damage ▁to ▁infrastr ucture , ▁property , ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁yields ▁up stream ". ▁ ▁" Al though ▁spring time ▁in ▁Illinois ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁wet ter , ▁summer ▁dr ought s ▁are ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁severe . ▁High er ▁ev ap oration ▁and ▁lower ▁summer ▁ra inf all ▁are ▁likely ▁to ▁reduce ▁river ▁flows . ▁The ▁dr ought ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁narrow ed ▁navigation ▁channels , ▁forced ▁lock ▁clos ures , ▁and ▁caused ▁do z ens ▁of ▁b arg es ▁to ▁run ▁a ground ▁along ▁the ▁Illinois ▁sh or eline ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁delayed ▁sh ipping . ▁The ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers ▁estimates ▁that ▁the ▁dr ought ’ s ▁impact ▁on ▁navigation ▁cost ▁the ▁region ▁more ▁than ▁$ 2 7 5 ▁million . ▁Both ▁flo ods ▁and ▁dr ought ▁can ▁cause