JAMESTOWN (AP) - At 2 p.m., some Jamestown streets looked like more like streams, water creeping to the curb and beyond, filling basements, backyards and intersections.

By 5 p.m., with the exception of puddles and potholes, the pavement was dry.

About 2 inches of rain fell in Jamestown Wednesday, more than half of it within an hour.

"Thank goodness it stopped raining when it did," said Darcy Herman, assistant manager of CH Carpenter.

The company's alleyway, which contains lumber, plywood and other building materials, filled with about 6 inches of water, Herman said.

"A few things got wet, but nothing got damaged," he said.

A heavy downpour that started around 1 p.m. Wednesday, flooded intersections throughout town, said Jamestown Police Lt. Robert Opp. Police closed the viaduct and had one report of a stalled vehicle but no traffic accidents because of the weather.

The rainfall didn't even look like rain - it looked like snow, Herman said.

The National Weather Service, which takes its measurements at the Jamestown Regional Airport, reported 1.62 inches of rain Wednesday. The North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown reported 2.05 inches fell between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. the same day.

Jerry Bergquist, the Stutsman County emergency manager, said rain accumulations were higher in the southern parts of town.

Aside from keeping homes maintained and checking the seals on doors and windows, not much can be done in the event of a heavy shower, Bergquist said.

"It all depends on how fast it comes down. That's the enemy, really," he said.

Bergquist and Beth Dewald of the Buffalo Valley Red Cross said they had no reports of households asking for support. But the storm did cause its share of headaches.

Janice Hanson's basement filled with about 4 feet of water Wednesday afternoon and by 5 p.m. still wasn't empty. Water levels got so high near Hanson's house, she said, that she parked her car a block away and walked in a knee-deep stream.

"If I ever had an option to buy, I'd build on a hill," said Jeremy Bauer, whose rented house also was flooded.

In most cases, Dewald said, bleach and water can be used to clean up inside homes damaged by floodwaters.

Damages to Bauer's basement weren't as extensive as Hanson's - water levels reached a couple of inches, he said. But rain left in his backyard will keep the children inside for days. His wife, who runs a day care at the house, posted a sign on the porch saying, "Build the ark."