'It's a whole new era,' Ditch 6 levee groundbreaking in southwest Iowa 'You'll just see this thing rising off the ground and becoming a levee,' project manager Lance Lansdown says Share Updated: 5:39 PM CDT May 5, 2021 'It's a whole new era,' Ditch 6 levee groundbreaking in southwest Iowa 'You'll just see this thing rising off the ground and becoming a levee,' project manager Lance Lansdown says Share Updated: 5:39 PM CDT May 5, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript WAVERLE: THE RESIDENTS OF HAMBURG SAID THEY WANTED A BIGGER AND BETTER LEVEE, WE’LL NOW THEY’RE GETTING I -- WELL NOW, THEY’RE GETTING IT. THE LEVEE WILL BE RAISED 8 FEET AND WILL PREVENT WATER FROM EVER GETTING INTO HAMBURG AGAIN. IT’S BEEN A 10-YEAR BATTLE FOR HAMBURG TO RAISE THIS LEVEE AFTER FLOODING IN 2011 AND AGAIN IN 2019. THE CITY DIDN’T GIVE UP. >> WE TRIED TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT NOTHING WAS AVAILABLE FOR PREVENTION. WAVERLE: FAST FORWARD TO NOW, VICTORY FOR THE SMALL SOUTHWEST IOWA TOWN. [APPLAUSE] IOWA CONGRESSWOMAN CINDY AXNE SAYS SHE NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING FOR HAMBURG. SHE SAYS SHE HELPED INTRODUCE THE LEVY ACT, WHICH ALLOWED THE ARMY CORPS TO MOVE MONEY WITHOUT CONGRESS’ APPROVAL. >> AND WHAT THAT DOES, FOLKS, WE MAY BE THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS NEW ACT AND BREAK GROUND HERE. BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS NO OTHER TOWN IN THIS COUNTRY WILL EVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT HAMBURG HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH. WAVERLE: LONGTIME HAMBURG RESIDENT LOUIS BECKER CALLS IT SALVATION. >> IT’S A WHOLE NEW ERA WE’RE GOING TO BE ENTERING. IT’S THE FUTURE OF HAMBURG. WITHOUT IT, WE’D BE DEAD. WAVERLE: BACK IN MARCH, THE CORPS APPROVED THE LEVEE TO RAISED, AND NOW IN EARLY MAY, CONSTRUCTION IS SET TO BEGIN. >> YOU’LL JUST SEE THIS THING RISING OFF THE GROUND AND BECOMING A LEVEE. WAVERLE: LANCE LANSDOWN IS THE PROJECT MANAGER. HE WORKS FOR HENDRICKSON ENTERPRISES. OWNER DARIN HENDRICKSON SAYS HIS COMPANY IS NEAR THE LEVEE AND BY RAISING IT MEANS HE CAN CONTINUE HIS LIVELIHOOD. >> I HAD TO COMPLETELY REBUILD THE WHOLE PLACE, SO TO GO THROUGH THAT PAIN AND THOSE SETBACKS, I WAS LOOKING FINANCIALLY AT LIKE A FIVE TO SIX-YEAR SETBACK. WAVERLE: HAMBURG STUCK IT OUT. IOWA STRONG. NOW, SAFE FROM THE FLO