Levee breaks in Arkansas as record flooding continues to plague the region A levee breach in Arkansas could present a life-and-death situation.

 -- Pervasive flooding continues to plague parts of the Midwest and South, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Missouri is bracing for what could be a dangerous, record-breaking week, and a levee breach just below the border in Arkansas could present a life-and-death situation, the NWS reported.

A levee breach has been confirmed along the Black River in Pocahontas, a small city located in Randolph County, Arkansas, which is close to the border of Missouri, according to the NWS. Weather officials called the situation "life threatening" due to the risk of flash flooding.

Weather-related incidents have killed at least 17 people in parts of the Midwest and South since the weekend, but the bulk of the flood damage has occurred in Arkansas and Missouri, where dangerous conditions have not subsided.

Heavy rains caused an abrupt rise in rivers located in Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas, and ABC meteorologists anticipate more precipitation to pummel those water bodies today and tomorrow, flooding some regions at record levels.

Three to four inches of rain are possible in the area around St. Louis, according to ABC meteorologists.

St. Louis County officials told the Associated Press that 200 homes along the Meramec River have already been damaged and another 1,500 are potentially in harm's way because of oncoming storms.

Hundreds of roads are closed across the three states, the AP reported, including a 57-mile stretch of Interstate 44 from central to southern Missouri, and a 23-mile stretch in suburban St. Louis. A portion of Interstate 55 in St. Louis County was scheduled to close before daybreak Wednesday due to flooding on the Meramec.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.