DES MOINES &#8212 Widespread flooding continued early Wednesday as thunderstorms dumped more heavy rain on already saturated areas of northern Iowa.

Near Fort Dodge, residents along the Des Moines River were being told to evacuate and crews were scrambling to protect a levee near the city’s old hydroelectric dam, officials said.

In Humboldt, a care center was evacuated as water poured into the building’s basement.

Tony Jorgenson, Webster County’s emergency management coordinator, said residents in three housing additions north of Fort Dodge were being told to leave.

“We have deputies down there to advise people they need to leave,” Jorgenson said Wednesday morning. “They’re not in any danger at this time, but the National Weather Service is telling us we’re going to get 2 to 4 more inches of rain this afternoon.”

Any additional rain will force the already rising river higher, Jorgenson said.

Flood stage in that area is 10 feet and by midmorning the river was at 14 feet and rising, Jorgenson said.

That was putting pressure on the levee protecting the old hydroelectric dam and crews were struggling Wednesday morning to keep the levee from giving way, Jorgenson said.

“The levee on the dam is not completely collapsed, but it’s damaged and they’re currently shoring it up with rocks and trying to get some sandbags in there,” he said.

The dam no longer produces electricity.

In Humboldt, more than 30 residents of Humboldt Care Center South were moved to the company’s north unit, a church and a local hospital after water flooded the basement, threatening the electrical system, said Susie Hilton, the care center’s assistant administrator.

No one was hurt, Hilton said.

The town’s mayor, Steve Samuels, said basements in the city were flooded as water seeped through walls and windows.

“The ground is just saturated,” Samuels said.

He said he has received 14 inches in his rain gauge since Friday, including 5 1/2 inches overnight Tuesday.

“We’re crossing our fingers,” he said. “There’s water everywhere.”

A flash flood watch remained in effect for much of the northern half of Iowa until Thursday.

Northern Iowa received another 6 inches of rain by late Tuesday night, said Gary Forster, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

More than half of Cherokee in northwest Iowa was without electricity for part of Tuesday night after wires from a water tower fell on power lines. In other parts of town, water was seeping into homes through windows, prompting city crews to offer pumps to the most affected areas.