High-water images: New Year Flood brought out moments of terror and beauty

What goes up must come down.

People living and working in towns along the Mississippi River know this all too well.

And not since 1993 have they seen the Mighty Mississippi rise so high and so fast.

Many concerns arise when a flood threatens, and not just for those who live and work along the banks. Those who should be protected by levees worry about a breach, or overtopping.

Some evacuate even if it's not mandatory, packing up their most treasured belongings or their entire houseful of items.

Volunteers Zoe Thompson, left, and Jason Hill, right, shovel sand into sandbags outside the Red Star Baptist Church Friday evening, Jan. 1, 2016, in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Others ride it out with prayers and hope.

Many people choose to sandbag around their homes and businesses. Volunteers offer any help they can to those fighting to save their homes and livelihood.

Truckload after truckload of grain trucks busy the roads as farmers' friends, neighbors and families empty bins of corn, soybeans and wheat for fear their land will flood, taking with it an entire year's worth of work and income.

This flood, which many are calling the New Year Flood, came so fast, we could actually watch the water rise, slowly engulfing roads and driveways and inching closer to homes in a matter of minutes.

Now, as the Mighty Mississippi continues to drop, people continue their fight with the remnants the flood left behind -- from river debris to homes with mud-covered floors and moldy interiors. The effort to get back to normalcy remains for many.

Larry Stearns removes scrap metal from Ernst Service Station & Machine Shop to take to a higher location, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, in McBride, Missouri. (Laura Simon)

But with the devastation of the flood comes beauty -- beauty in how people come together, forgetting any and all qualms they may have.

Strangers open doors to strangers, helping any way they can.

The compassion of people during times of crisis if beautiful, and hopefully continues during calm times as well.

lsimon@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3637

Brian Andrews rests for a moment after unloading sandbags at a home in the Red Star District of Cape Girardeau, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. (Laura Simon)