The floodplain of the muddy Mississippi River, scoured by the floods of the spring and early summer of 1993, is apparent south from Saint Louis in this near-vertical photograph. Damages in the millions of dollars were suffered when levees broke, causing flooding to prime agricultural land, homes, and small towns. Most of the flooding occurred east of the river in Illinois where numerous agricultural fields are apparent. Some bluffs on either side of the river exceed 300 feet (93 meters) above the floodplain. Discernible are the northeastern boundary of the Ozark Plateau west of the Mississippi River and Festus and Crystal City south of Saint Louis.