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More troops from the Missouri National Guard are heading to southeastern Missouri near a levee along the Mississippi River.

A federal appeals court on Saturday cleared the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blow a hole through the levee to try to prevent flooding in a small Illinois town upriver.

The Army Corps is still weighing its options.

The breach had been opposed by Governor Jay Nixon, and he had instructed the State Attorney General to sue to block the demolition.

A judge overruled that lawsuit.

Now Nixon ordered about 100 members of the Guard to southeastern Missouri to join more than 600 troops already there.

Nixon said the evacuation of 200 residents is now complete and the troops will continue to assist with disaster relief in the area.

“Missouri's Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen are literally working around the clock to help their neighbors in the southeast,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard. “Missourians should be proud of our Guardsmen.  I know Govenor Nixon and I are.”

The Carthage Press reports Missouri National Guard members are responding quickly to changing conditions in the Southeast Missouri region. 

Missouri counties, Butler, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott and Stoddard, are all engaged in the flood response efforts.  Morehouse and Canalou continue to face rising waters, where residents and local authorities work together to help save those communities.

While the flood waters continue to ravage communities across the region, Danner wants to emphasize to everyone, from the mobilized Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen, to the community members, to remain vigilant in safety issues according to the Carthage Press.

“The Missouri National Guard will continue to stand beside these communities in this fight,” Danner said.  “We need to ensure everyone takes the proper safety precautions to ensure we can all remain focused on winning this.”

Missouri’s Soldiers and Airmen will continue working in support of local authorities until released by the governor.

About 1,000 homes were evacuated April 25 when water from the Black River poured over the levee in Poplar Bluff and flooded low-lying neighborhoods.

Two powerful storm systems have caused flooding across a wide swath of the Midwest and South.