Many of those residents came from the Norwood Mobile Home Court, located off of Highway 47 in the south part of town. Local firefighters had to rescue them by boat.

"We had reports of rising water in that area and we evacuated all of the trailers but two, whose residents refused to evacuate," said Fire Chief Bill Halmich.

The first call for assistance from the fire department was made at 7:22 a.m.

"We were not advised of any flash flood warnings before that rain came," Halmich said.

According to a rain gauge at the city's wastewater treatment plant used to record data for the National Weather Service, a total of 4.4 inches of precipitation fell during Sunday's storms, said Kevin Quaethem, water/wastewater superintendent.

In Downtown Washington, 5.2 inches of rain was reported, while other areas unofficially reported up to 7 inches.

The city implemented its emergency operations plan, opening the Washington Senior Center to people temporarily displaced by the floods. Mid-American Coaches also were standing by ready to provide shelter for flood victims.

"We opened the senior center to provide shelter for people who sought temporary relief, but most of the evacuees stayed with friends or relatives," Halmich said.

The fire chief also reported flooding in basements at homes along Jasper Lane and Dawn Drive. One home located at 112 Dawn Drive had up to 4 feet of water in its basement, Halmich said.

The first floor of the parking garage at Patients First had about 6 inches of standing water during the flash floods Sunday morning. Halmich said the standing water was caused by a clogged stormwater culvert.

"There were no cars parked on that level at that time," he said.

Flooding also occurred along Tiemann Drive and Main Street near Lions Lake and the city fairgrounds, with many small creeks overspilling their banks.

A spot near 12th and Stafford streets also saw heavy rainfall in a short period of time.

"The water got up to about 3 feet on the outside wall of the old Hazel building," Halmich said.

Sections of Stafford, Ninth and Eighth streets and Rabbit Trail Drive near Highway 100 had to be closed to traffic temporarily during the floods, according to Quaethem.

Halmich said the floodwaters receded within hours and most people were able to return to their homes by 1 p.m. Sunday. "By that time, most of the creeks were back within their banks," Halmich said.

"It was over pretty quick. I think we really experienced a true flash flood," Quaethem said.

Halmich said while emergency response crews were busy, "the system proved to work out well, and all of the calls were answered promptly."

The fire chief explained that during a busy situation like Sunday, crews prioritize the emergencies.

"Life safety takes precedence over other things like sandbagging," he said, noting that using sandbags in flash floods is not always the best option.

"You're always playing catch-up," Halmich said.