If such an earthquake happened today, it would be felt from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and would flatten most of the cities in the Mississippi valley. That, he figured, should get his classmates' attention.
All of the levees along the Missouri River have broken, and the towns of Portage Des Sioux and West Alton, which sit at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, have been completely isolated by water.
South of Nebraska and Iowa the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers which are already at minor or moderate flood stage are expected to rise higher in the next few days.
The brewery's site was chosen in 1852 because of some cool caves that they used for storage, for its proximity to the Mississippi River, and for the large population of thirsty German immigrants.
Tropical Storm Marco made landfall on Monday near the mouth of the Mississippi River but it had weakened enough beforehand that its main threat was heavy rain.
Today, we're getting an exclusive look inside the USS Mississippi, one of the most powerful warships on the planet -- with a crew of around 140 people.