Pastor Joe Fuiten was checking on the big green dehumidifiers, carefully walking around and over their tubes this morning. They were still humming and fans remained blowing after last night’s flooding of the Cedar Park Assembly of God church in Bothell.

And the band played on in the background.

While guitars, drums and vocals soared throughout the church — proving that music is a driving force despite what nature has in store — Fuiten described the scene last night.

“At 5 p.m., we had that big cloudburst and just an enormous amount of rain fell out of the sky,” he said. “I calculated 46,000 cubic feet of water floating around about an inch deep. You could see the current flowing down the center aisle.” (He noted that students in the Cedar Park Christian School science department measured the rain with a bucket, as well.)

Along with about 30 fans and 20 dehumidifiers, a truck-mounted extraction device was used and the carpet was cleaned. Fuiten didn’t have a cost estimate, but he said they’ll be checking on the carpet, walls and pews to see how much damage was done. The Cedar Park Christian High basement was also flooded with about three inches of water; classes were in session there this morning.

Cedar Park employee Andy Soemo, who was one of many people who helped mop up the carpet with squeegees and such, noted: “It was wet. We were just commenting on how loud it was on the roof — louder than I’ve ever heard it.”

“We were using music stands to scoop up water — you want to do the best that you can,” said Cedar Park Christian High senior Amanda Goodmanson, adding that there was a special camaraderie between the 150 or so helpers. “This is something that will never be forgotten.”

Fuiten said that thanks to folks with Facebook and Twitter accounts, word spread quickly about the flood and helpers showed up on the heals of the 15-minute deluge that sent water rushing down the asphalt hill and into the church. The pastor noted that the outdoor storm-water retention pond filled up about a foot and the indoor sub pump at the front of the church was full, as well.

Volunteers lent a hand from 5 p.m. to about 5 a.m. this morning.

“It was pretty awesome to see them rally. We got right on it,” said Fuiten, who did some mopping himself while still wearing his coat and tie.

Chapel of the Resurrection funeral-home director Mike Sonnenberg played a crucial role in the evening’s events, Fuiten said. The former part owner of a water-damage restoration business told the pastor that they needed dehumidifiers on the spot to help dry the church’s carpet, which is just a year old.

“I explained to him what I know, and he said, ‘Let’s do it,'” said Sonnenberg, whose office is located in the church and was flooded, as well. He drove in a truck with Fuiten to Sunbelt Rentals in Woodinville to grab some of the dehumidifiers they used last night. “It was surprisingly gratifying to have the background to help in this situation. It was natural to me.”