“I am so proud of our communities,” said Humboldt County Emergency Management Coordinator Kyle Bissell. “Everyone came together to help one another. Businesses helped individuals and individuals helped businesses. I’ve never seen camaraderie like this. Our community came together to help and protect one another.”

In Humboldt, the West Fork of the Des Moines River crested at 17 feet in the early morning hours, shattering the previous record of 15.4 feet. Bradgate and Rutland also experienced flooding, but not to the magnitude of the city of Humboldt, said Bissell.

In Fort Dodge, the Des Moines River crested Thursday at 5:30 a.m. at 17.12 feet. The historic crest of the 1993 floods was 16.47 feet.

As of press time, the river in Lehigh was continuing to rise and was expected to crest early Friday morning.

“With the river levels rising in the southern half of the county, we are not out of the woods yet,” said Webster County Supervisor Austin Hayek. “It’s looking like we’ll still have a slow fall, so we need folks to remain vigilant. Like we’ve said throughout, we planned for the worst, made sure to be transparent with the public, and thankfully we were able to do all we could to avoid the worst case scenario.”

Waters in Humboldt had receded approximately 5 inches by mid-afternoon Thursday, but Bissell said the community will remain in a flood warning and at major flood stage for at least another week due to the amount of water in the community.

Webster County Emergency Management says it anticipates waters to begin receding today, though with forecasted rainfall and debris coming down river, it could be a slower fall.

Residents and businesses in both Webster and Humboldt counties are asked to keep sand bags in place at least until this weekend when water levels have fallen.

“With the potential for rain on Friday, it’s best to leave them up as a precautionary measure,” said Webster County Supervisor Niki Conrad.

Some roads in both Webster and Humboldt counties will also remain closed until waters have receded and have been inspected for damage.

“We simply do not know what’s underneath,” said city of Fort Dodge Communications Manager Amanda Holmes. “The road could be washed out or debris could be in the way. It’s best to avoid those areas and be safe.”

According to Webster County Engineer Jamie Johll, bridges in Webster County are safe for use even with the high flood waters below.

“As of now, the water has not reached the bottom of any of the bridges in Webster County,” he said. “I am not worried about the integrity of any of them, and there is enough clearance for debris at this time. That said, we are continuing to monitor the situation and if anything changes, we will act appropriately.”

Bissell added that Humboldt County will be assessing bridges and roads that were of concern and are closed, and would let the public know of any potential damage.

Multiple neighborhoods did experience flooding in both Webster and Humboldt counties. In Fort Dodge, 14 residents were being housed at Iowa Central Community College after being displaced by flood waters.

“Iowa Central is here for our community,” said Jesse Ulrich, president of Iowa Central Community College. “During times of crisis it is our responsibility to utilize resources that we have available to support our family and community members. It was our genuine hope that not a single person would have to utilize our residences, but in the event that they did, we were fully prepared to open the doors and welcome in those in need.”

The city of Humboldt has multiple neighborhoods with flooding, and Bissell says county officials are working with homeowners on a plan to safely enter their home.

“As the floodwaters recede and homeowners begin cleanup, we want to ensure that it’s being done properly for the safety of everyone,” said Bissell. “We’re going house to house and have also posted information online as to how we can help.”

Bissell added that the Humboldt County Department of Health is also offering bleach and cleaning products to affected residents. He said that all residents should remember to wash their hands often because the flood waters are “gross” and “very dirty.”

“I also want to remind residents to take care of themselves and their mental health,” said Bissell. “We’ve made it through a really stressful time. You’ve helped your neighbors. Now it’s time to take care of your mental health. Before you begin clean up, take a breath, refocus, and take care of yourself for a moment.”

By the numbers

68,000 sandbags filled and placed throughout Humboldt County

23,000 sandbags filled and placed throughout Webster County

17.12 feet – Crest of the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge

17 feet – Crest of the West Fork of the Des Moines River in Humboldt

14 flood displaced residents utilizing temporary housing at Iowa Central

5 inches of water had receded in Humboldt 12 hours after the crest