HUMBOLDT — The East and West Forks of the Des Moines River continued to rise Monday. According to Humboldt County Emergency Management Director Kyle Bissell, the East Fork crested on Monday at 21.9 feet and the West Fork will crest at 16.8 feet on Wednesday midday.

Sandbagging efforts continue throughout the city of Humboldt with a filling station at the Secondary Roads facility.

More than a dozen youth and adults from Hopp Performance and Nutrition in Humboldt were out on Monday filling and placing sandbags for residents in need.

“I love teaching kids about functional fitness anyway,” said Todd Hopp, chief executive officer of Hopp Performance and Nutrition. “This is a great way to help others and still get in a strength workout.”

“I love helping people out,” added 10-year-old Gabriel Hopp.

The group placed sandbags around homes and businesses throughout the day.

According to Bissell, sandbags have also been placed along businesses on U.S. Highway 169 and Iowa Highway 3. A dike is also being built along the south side of Humboldt to prevent flooding of the city’s southern streets.

MidAmerican Energy also began notifying residents on Monday of the potential for gas and electrical services to be shut off due to flooding.

Bissell added that the pedestrian bridge north of Bradgate is “blocking a great deal of water to the area, which is causing it to spread outwards from the river.” The Army Corp of Engineers is looking into the issue.