A prison work crew has been called out to help sandbag some areas in St. Joseph in danger of flooding from the Missouri River.     The area has been hit with heavy rains in the last 24 hours.  Corrections department spokesman Brian Hauswirth says the crew has been sent out from the Western Missouri Diagnostic Center.  Crews are made up of inmates near their release date.  They have to be approved by the prison superintendent and the state corrections director. 

Hauswirth says city officials have asked for help from the center, which is high enough that it is in no danger of flooding. However he says some neighborhoods in low-lying areas seem to be endangered. 

A spokesman for the Missouri Air National Guard says preparations have been made to move the unit’s eight C-130 transport planes out of Rosecrans Airport if flood waters threaten the facility.