* Mississippi River levels stable, more rains not a threat * New calls to sandbag weakened levees north of St. Louis * Thousands request U.S. government financial help By Kay Henderson DES MOINES, Iowa, June 23 (Reuters) - Levees held on the Mississippi River on Monday in the worst Midwest floods in 15 years as residents tackled a slow, smelly recovery from multibillion-dollar losses that may boost world food prices. Weakened levees along the Mississippi in the major farm states of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri remained intact as the key U.S. waterway crested gradually in some areas and rose minimally in others. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said water levels were largely stable and would likely remain that way for several days before a gradual fall. "We'll have to remain vigilant even as the water starts to fall on the Mississippi River because it's going be a slow fall. Once the river crests, the work's not done," said Nicole Dalrymple, spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers in St. Louis. Dalrymple said the major problem appeared on Monday to be around Winfield, Missouri, upstream from St. Louis where a new call was sounded for volunteers to sandbag a saturated levee. But she said the river was expected to crest again midweek at St. Louis lower than previously thought, more than 12 feet (3.6 metres) under the record high set during the region's last major flood in 1993. "Just clean it up and go on. It's not as simple as it sounds. But that's what we'll have to do. And that's what we will do," said JoAnne Smiley, a retired school teacher who is the mayor of tiny Clarksville, Missouri. The river there was expected to crest on Monday 9 inches (22.86 cm) lower than in 1993. "It could have been worse. It could still be if the river or the weather does something we're not expecting. We're not home yet," she added. Thunderstorms seen for the northern Midwest on Tuesday were expected to be heavy in some areas but at most would keep flooded rivers from receding much rather than pose a new threat. MOUNTAINS OF DAMAGED GOODS In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the raging Cedar River spilled into 1,300 city blocks, the director of the city's Solid Waste Agency estimated the mountain of ruined furniture, household goods and other belongings left behind would be enough to fill two football stadiums to a depth of 60 feet (18.29 metres), the city's Gazette newspaper said. The Midwest storms and torrential rains have killed 24 people and caused billions of dollars in damage since late May. More than 40,000 people have been displaced, mostly in Iowa. Roads and bridges have been swamped, factories shut down, water and power utilities damaged, and the earnings of railroads, farmers and many other businesses disrupted. Fears that up to 5 million acres (2 mln hectares) of corn and soybeans have been lost in the heart of the world's biggest grain and food exporter have fed growing concerns that world food inflation will worsen even as energy prices set records. Financial giant Goldman Sachs said the floods will trim this year's U.S. corn harvest and affect the size of ethanol production and livestock herds. It boosted its 12-month corn price forecast to $7.70 per bushel. Iowa's weekly state crop report on Monday said more than 10 percent of the state's corn and soybeans would need to be replanted, or at least 2.5 million acres (1.01 mln hectares). But it is too late in the season to replant much for decent yields, analysts said. Iowa and Illinois together usually produce one third of the entire U.S. corn and soybean crops. Flood relief was becoming a political issue in a U.S. election year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received more than 19,000 requests for help, and U.S. government aid was expected to be in the billions of dollars. President George W. Bush toured some of the devastation in Iowa last week and the White House said relief would be available from $4 billion in the government's disaster fund. Republican presidential candidate John McCain also was in Iowa last week and Democratic candidate Barack Obama filled sandbags in Quincy in his home state of Illinois. Iowa Democratic Gov. Chet Culver later asked both candidates not to visit Iowa until after the crisis passed. Roger Dowell, 49, a former Clarksville city worker, felt the pain. His trailer, which he put up on blocks hoping to avoid the flood, is normally about 250 feet (76.2 metres) from the edge of the river. On Monday, it sat in 5 feet (1.5 metres) of water. "Second time I've been flooded out," he said. "You get tired of fighting it." (Additional reporting by James Kelleher and Erin Zureick in Chicago and Ryan Schlader in Cedar Rapids. Writing by Michael Conlon, Editing by Peter Bohan and Vicki Allen)
REFILE - CORRECTING DATE An aerial view shows the damage national highway near Balasore, about 220 km (139 miles) west from the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, in this June 22, ...
