Wednesday’s downpour — approximately 2 inches of rain in a just a couple of hours — couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Ellis County Courthouse.

A contractor working on the reconstruction of the Law Enforcement Center and courthouse neglected to tie roof drainage lines back to a floor drain, resulting in flooding in the basement.

Ellis County Undersheriff Bruce Hertel said the flooding was reported about 2 a.m. Wednesday, and members of his department, Ellis County Rural Fire, Hays Police Department and Hays Fire Department quickly responded to resolve the situation.

“We tried to plug the leak. That didn’t work,” Hertel said, noting crews began then to use squeegees to push the water out the back door into another drain.

Offices and the dispatch center were sandbagged to prevent the spread of the water, which got to about an inch deep.

“Eventually, the plumber showed up and the construction superintendent showed up and they cut the pipe outside … and shut the water flow off,” he said.

There was little lasting damage as a result of the flooding, including some stained carpets and loose floor tiles.

“It wasn’t that bad, as long as we kept it out of dispatch,” Hertel said, noting there are backup dispatch facilities at the Hays Fire Department and at Fort Hays State University.