Mississippi overflows Illinois levee; total of 22

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The swollen Mississippi River has flowed over the top of a levee north of Quincy, Illinois, as flood waters compromise a total of 22 levees in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday.

Thousands of acres of prime crop land are threatened as the river's crest moves south after last week's torrential rains that have caused the worst flooding in the Midwest in 15 years.

The compromised levees stretch from Dubuque, Iowa, to St. Louis, and another two dozen levees are at risk of being swamped by flood waters.

(Reporting by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Christian Wiessner)