When it rains, it pours, and when it pours, the water has to go somewhere.

The folks at Dodge City Inc. in Hermitage know that it collects in the creek along their parking lot, and that sometimes the waterway can't handle it.

"We kept an eye on the creek," said General Manager Jim Stiver, as water that flooded the lot was receding Thursday. "Just as it got to the crest, we started moving cars."

Some cars were covered up to their wheels, but the old switcheroo prevented water from getting up to the windows, which is high enough to leak inside.

Over the weekend, when no one was at work to watch the creek, four cars were flooded. The carpeting had to be replaced.

"People are getting really good deals," Stiver said. "I've already sold two of the four."

Watching a radar image map on the Internet, Stiver fretted that it looked like another storm was headed this way. In fact, the National Weather Service said thunderstorms were likely and had put up a flood watch until 4 a.m. today.

Hermitage police and firefighters directed traffic around flooded East State Street and blocked all but local access to feeder streets until the water subsided.

"It all seems to hit right here and head in that direction," Stiver said, pointing westward down East State.

Water streamed down State, rolling across storm water grates that are supposed to take it eventually to the Shenango River.

Sometimes the water that makes it into the storm system overpowers that system, such as at South Dock and Budd streets in Sharon, where it popped manhole covers.

Police directed traffic around the manholes until the water level fell and the street crew could replace them.

Mercer County 911 said the flooding was limited to the Shenango Valley.

According to rainfall reports at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, just over a quarter-inch fell Thursday. For the month, 2.45 inches of rain has fallen -- nearly half of it Sunday.