Heavy rain and intense lightening ripped through the area early this morning. The storms dumped 3.32-inches of rain in Atlantic (here at the KJAN studios) between 1-and 2-a.m., and caused street flooding and scattered power outages. Higher rainfall amounts were reported further to the northwest, near the Marne area.

Excessive run-off from the rainfall was expected to cause flash flooding to occur. The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for northwestern Cass County until 8:30-a.m.   A Flash Flood warning that had been in effect for eastern Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties until 5-a.m., was cancelled just before 4 o’clock, as excess runoff from the heavy rain had ended, and streams and creeks in the warned area were expected to have begun receding, therefore ending the flood threat. If flooding is or has been observed, you’re asked to report the incident to law enforcement.

A lightening strike may also have sparked a barn fire a few miles south of Marne, at around 3:40-a.m. Cass County Communications dispatched Marne and Atlantic Fire to the Sonya Schuler residence at 55242 560^th Street. The barn, which contained a snowmobile and camper, was reported to have been fully engulfed in flames minutes after the first firefighters’ page went out.