A strong overnight storm in southern Butler County kept homeowners and tenants on edge and firefighters on the go early this morning.

The torrential rain that hit about 1 a.m. quickly saturated yards and backed up storm sewers, causing basements and roads to take on water from Cranberry Township to Clinton Township to points just north.

No place got hit harder than Zelienople.

"We got our first call at 1:45 a.m. After that, they kept coming one after another," said Rob Reeb, assistant chief for the Zelienople Volunteer Fire Department. "It was busy."

Before long, cellars started flooding on McKim, Spruce, Clay and Spring streets. Zelienople firefighters had to pump out a half dozen or so basements.

Between 2:40 and 4 a.m., water-logged basements also were reported in Harmony, Cranberry and Adams Township and flooded roads in nearby municipalities.

"It rained so hard for three hours, it was unbelievable," said Chief Tim Sapienza of the Harmony Volunteer Fire Company. "It was a pounding rain, very hard."

Flooding also was reported on Saxonburg Boulevard in Clinton Township and Park Road in Middlesex Township.