High winds and heavy rain this morning caused headaches for motorists and emergency crews in Butler County.

Creeping water closed at least two roads and downed power lines and trees created obstacle courses for drivers on numerous others across the county.

Flooding about 7:45 a.m. closed Meridian Road at Monroe Road in Penn Township, according to township police.

About that same time, township officials warned motorists to be careful traveling rain soaked Renfrew Road.

Just several minutes later, the state Department of Transportation shut down Yellow Creek Road between Little Creek and East Lancaster roads in Lancaster Township.

Some basements, like one in the 300 block of Election House Road in Franklin Township, reported taking on water about 8 a.m.

The weather conditions were blamed on a band of heavy thunderstorms that swept across the region before dawn.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh shortly before 6 a.m. issued a tornado watch for Butler and several other counties until 1 p.m.

Included in the tornado watch were Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties.