Approximately four inches of rain that fell in less then four hours caused some temporary flooding of streets and yards in the vicinity of the Staples water tower Tuesday evening. At least three Staples area residents reported having four inches or more of rain in rain gauges. The heavy rainfall was more than city storm sewers under Fourth and Fifth Streets could handle causing a backup in that low-lying area east of the high school football field. About two blocks of Fifth Street were under water for a short time after 5:30 p.m. and many yards in that area were underwater. Several Fifth Street homes reportedly had wet basements. Some flooding was also reported on the city's south side and in the neighborhood just west of the Staples Motley High School. There were also reports of strong winds blowing down trees in rural areas around Staples. City street department crews, the volunteer fire department and the police department responded to calls, blocked streets and directed traffic around problem areas until the water subsided. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford)