Sunrise over the swollen Missouri River.
Correspondent Sean Callebs, photojournalist Ken Tillis, and I arrived in Big Lake, Missouri, at about 3:45 a.m. local time.
Flooding caused by the swollen Missouri River and several levee breeches has made much of this area impassable. When we got on the ground, it was pitch black.
Sean and I put on our waders and ventured into the belt-high water. It felt like that scene from Star Wars where Luke Skywalker is in the Death Star trash compactor. You can never tell when your next step is going to drop off. You can also feel things moving at your feet but have no idea what they are.
Corn washed up on Highway 159.
This is corn country, so a lot of the debris that's washed up near Highway 159 (where our camera is stationed) is comprised of corn husks and cobbs.
About 150 people live in Big Lake, Missouri, year round and they've all left town. Most of the houses we can see from here are either under water or surrounded by water.
-- By CNN Producer Eric Marrapodi