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Levees

Floodwaters from the Missouri River covering Highway 333 outside of town approach a levee, Thursday, June 16, 2011, in Hamburg, Iowa. The water level continues to rise and officials say that it should crest sometime later this week. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Missouri River floodwater reaches Iowa town levee

Last updated Thursday, June 16, 2011 - 10:34am

HAMBURG, Iowa -- Water that has been pouring through a breached Missouri River levee finally reached a makeshift barrier that is a small Iowa town's only hope of avoiding major flooding, authorities said Thursday.

The water, which breached the primary levee south of Hamburg on Monday and has been slowly advancing over the surrounding farmland, reached the 8-foot-tall levee late Wednesday and was about 2-feet-deep by Thursday morning, Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Carlos Lazo said. There were no immediate problems reported along the structure, where officials expect about five feet of water to eventually collect.

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Local volunteers help build a flood wall on Highway 333 entering into Hamburg, Iowa, Monday afternoon June 13, 2011. Hamburg residents ready themselves for flooding from a 300-foot levee breach in Atchison County. (AP Photo/St. Joseph News-Press, Matt Reid)

Crews racing floodwaters to build up Iowa levee

The Associated Press

Last updated Tuesday, June 14, 2011 - 10:20am

HAMBURG, Iowa -- Crews are trying to beat floodwaters expected to arrive in Hamburg on Tuesday by building up a secondary barrier to protect the small Iowa town after the swollen Missouri River punched a massive hole in the main levee.

The river ruptured two levees in northwest Missouri on Monday, sending torrents of water over rural farmland toward Hamburg in southwest Iowa and a Missouri resort community downriver. By Wednesday, water spilling through a nearly 300-foot hole in the levee near Hamburg was expected to top a secondary levee built last week to protect the town.

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(KERA WILLIAMS/ Standard-Examiner) On Monday, water rushes past large sandbags that were placed at a levee along the Weber River in Plain City at 5500 West and 400 North.

'We're not quitting yet:' Latest effort to repair levee fails

Jessica Miller Standard-Examiner staff

Last updated Monday, June 13, 2011 - 9:34pm

The latest effort to help repair a broken levee may have failed, but Weber County emergency officials aren't giving up yet.

Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Mark Lowther said the river was eating its way around several of the one-ton sandbags that were dropped via helicopter Friday near 5900 West and 400 North.

Crews have been working around the clock since the break, Lowther said, but by Monday afternoon, the workers had left the site and emergency officials were trying to figure out a way to contain the uncontrolled water dumping into a small canal and into surrounding fields, dangerously close to homes.

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Crews work in Plain City to repair levee break as Weber River flows into "Little Weber."

Anthony Souffle, Standard-Examiner staff

Last updated Friday, June 10, 2011 - 7:13pm

Flooding, Helicopter, Levee, Levees, Slideshow, Utah National Guard, Weber River, Featured, Flood Read more Comments

A Wendy's restaurant is surrounded by a temporary berm Monday June 6, 2011 in Hamburg, Iowa. The southwest Iowa town is under a mandatory evacuation order as the Missouri River continues to rise. (Photo/Dave Weaver)

Army expects full breach of Missouri River levee

The Associated Press

Last updated Monday, June 6, 2011 - 5:40pm

HAMBURG, Iowa -- Crews scrambled Monday to protect a southwest Iowa town from the swollen Missouri River, but local officials said it's unclear whether they'll be able to prevent the river from leaving the community under several feet of water for weeks.

If efforts to pile massive sandbags on a faltering levee and build a secondary barrier fail, part of Hamburg could be under as much as 8 feet of water for a month or more, Fire Chief Dan Sturm said. Flooding along the river this summer -- expected to break decades-old records -- will test the system of levees, dams and flood walls like never before.

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Jodi Owen, left, watches on Saturday, May 28, 2011, as Ken Kerfont steps over the sandbags they have been piling around their home in Fort Pierre, S.D., to protect against rising water from the nearby Missouri River. They continued to build up the sandbag wall even as water reached the barrier because they hoped an emergency levee under construction could keep the water from rising higher. (AP Photo/Chet Brokaw)

Levees going up to protect South Dakota cities

The Associated Press

Last updated Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - 5:27pm

PIERRE, S.D. -- Crews raced approaching floodwaters Tuesday to complete emergency levees aimed at protecting South Dakota's capital city and two other towns as the swollen Missouri River rolled downstream from the Northern Plains. Meanwhile, the mayor of Minot, N.D., ordered a quarter of the city's residents to evacuate areas along the flooding Souris River.

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