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pa[;e 35 Pawnee Creek west of Sterling ran "ild. Oldtimers said flood waters were two feet higher than the devastating flood of 1935. Farmers all along the creek's path braced for the onslaught. Some observers predicted the water would follow highway 6 into Sterling. Towns and farm homes along northern Logan and Sedgwick counties were flooded. The floods were triggered by rains thruout the night in Wyoming, Nebraska and northern Colorado. H. E. Williams, who farms northwest of Peetz, measured 4.15 inches of rainfall between 3:30 p.m. and 4 a.IIl. today. Crook and Ovid got as much. Sidney, Nebraska, reported. 5 inches in a virtual cloudburst. Basements of many homes were flooded. Sandbags were rushed to vulnerable spots in the towns. In Ovid and Julesburg "ater was still rising at noon today. Damage was increasing, and will become heavy if waters continue to rise. Many highways and roads were closed. The flood came with little warning. Livestoc:~ in many areas were threatened, and it is feared losses might be severe. Water came surging down Pawnee Creek early this morning and flooded Highway 14 west of Sterling. The high'Nay was closed for a time but has been re-opened. George Tompkins, 80, who farms near the Pawnee Creek bridge on highway 14, said the flood is the worst he has seen. "The water is 2 feet higher than during the 1935 flood," Tompkins said. "I expect this will do a lot of damage to Atwood and Sterling. " Tompkins has lived near the creek 51 years. Another resident of the area, Ervin Busig, said tons of hail have been washed down the creek from the northwest. Much of it was trapped by trees and heavy brush. ~~he cold temperature produced a heavy layer of ste= and fog over the region this morning. Despite the depth of the waters, the new Pawnee Creek bridge 12 miles west of Sterling apparently was not threatened. However, beyond the bridge water rushed down the highway and washed out some of the roadway. The Pawnee flood hit about 4 a.m. Telephone service to Willard was blocked out. Water stood in lakes in northern Logan county this morning. Peetz got a record-breaking rain, starting at 8:30 p.m. Monday and continuting til about 4 a.m. today. Williams said it I s the biggest rain he has seen since moving to Peetz in 1913. Water from the Peetz area is pouring into Lewis Cree, which dumps into the South Platte River east of Iliff. Williams said there will be some damage to summer fallowed fields and to millet which has been seeded.