At least 3 dead, several evacuated in US floods

Thawing snowpack and heavy rains have brought historically high flooding to several Midwestern states and have led to thousands of evacuations.

Three people have died, including a man who officials say was trying to rescue strangers from freezing flood waters.

Record-breaking flooding in at least five states has led to emergency declarations. Several communities have been cut off from outside help.

It follows a powerful winter storm that slammed the US last week.

A hurricane-like weather phenomenon that scientists call a "bomb cyclone" hit the western Rocky Mountains and US Central Plains last week, showering snow and freezing rains on millions of Americans in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota.

The National Weather Service said flooding would continue across parts of the Central Plains and Upper Midwest for the rest of the week.

President Donald Trump described the floods as "devastating".

Trump tweeted Monday that he is staying in close contact with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem about the flooding. Trump asked Vice President Mike Pence to go survey the flood damage in Nebraska Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in the tweet. She did not say where in Nebraska Pence would go.

Residents in the towns of Bartlett and Thurman were ordered to evacuate on Sunday as levees were breached.

Three people have been killed, and two other men have been missing for days.

Aleido Rojas Galan, 52, was swept away in a vehicle in southwestern Iowa on Friday while 50-year-old James Wilke was killed in Nebraska when a bridge collapsed as he tried to help motorists.

Two other men remain missing.

On Sunday, police in Platte County, Nebraska, confirmed 80-year-old Betty Hamernik died after emergency crews were unable to reach her home in the rapid floodwaters.