By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

Rain started falling about 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Arloa and John Shaw residence in rural Phillips County.

"That was the easy part," said Arloa Shaw, "and then it got worse when it got dark."

This morning, they had 6.1 inches of rain in the gauge.

"It was everywhere," Shaw said of the water, "including the basement."

With the help of dustpans and buckets, the water was scooped out overnight, and a fan is helping dry it out.

Heavy rainfall over a relatively small area prompted flash flood warnings overnight. Flood warnings remain in place today for Phillips County and a slice of Osborne County.

The North Fork of the Solomon River a mile south of Glade hit its crest about 2 a.m. today, about 3 feet above flood stage. Bow Creek, about 9 miles north of Stockton, hit its crest about 3 a.m. today, also 3 feet above flood stage.

Plus, there's a 50-percent chance for additional rainfall later today and a chance for even more rain through the weekend.

Shaw first reported 5.9 inches of rainfall to the radio station in Phillipsburg. But as the rain drew to a close, "we ended up with 6.1."

"It was quite a rain," she said.

To the east, Diane Stockman reported 4.2 inches.

Stockman works at Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge and lives southwest of there on Bow Creek.

"Bow Creek is out of its banks," Stockman said. "It is already."

Bow Creek flows into Kirwin Reservoir, which already is about a foot into flood stage. Water from the North Fork of the Solomon River also flows into Kirwin and should be carrying plenty of water based on the rainfall reported.

Stockman said the refuge office received 2.5 inches, while Stockton reported 2.2 inches.

"The heavy rain was right over us and our neighbor," she said. "It was concentrated over Bow Creek."

The Shaws live about 2 miles north of Bow Creek, just north of the Rooks-Phillips county line.

To the northeast, Shaw said, her son reported nearly 6 inches of rain. A grandson to the west reported 5 inches, she said.

Shaw said she and her husband were out driving this morning and had hoped to visit the Stockmans to see how much rain they received. But as they drove, the roads were covered with water, so they weren't able to make it.

Shaw simply was amazed at how much water there was and how strong it was.

At her son's place, she said, a concrete and stone ring around a hand-dug well -- thought to have been there for 100 years -- was gone this morning.