ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Similar to everyone else, Roanoke fire and rescue crews are keeping up with the National Weather Service for updates on a possible storm headed toward the Commonwealth.

Both Fire & EMS crews and the Red Cross are advising residents to stay away from rising waters.

The Greenway overpass in Wasena typically floods when a heavy rain comes down quickly. Jeff Todd, who owns a nearby business, Roanoke Mountain Adventures reminds people to stay away from it during flooding.

“It can be tempting to think let me wade out into the water when it’s on one of these low water bridges and I’ve seen kids attempting that before,” said Todd

Before we even see rising waters, Jackie Grant with the Red Cross in downtown Roanoke says to make sure you’ve got the essentials.

She says you’ll need a gallon of water per person, per day for at least three days along with some easy food items, personal hygiene items, a flashlight, a blanket, extra cash, and filled prescriptions. She says to make sure you take those items and put them in a bag just in case you need to leave in a hurry.

Emergency officials also advise being prepared for power outages and making sure devices are charged.

Brian Clingenpeel with Roanoke County Fire and Rescue says teams will up-staff if needed. He advises preparing now to get to and from places you might need to go in a hurry.

“If you know that there’s certain routes, home or work or daycare that typically get cut off with flood waters well now’s a good time to start investigating some different routes,” said Clingenpeel.

The Red Cross has an emergency alerts app that can be downloaded for free. It can be used to stay updated on precautions to take in different areas.