CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Crews in Mecklenburg County spent the day trying to prevent problems ahead of the heavy rains expected from the remnants of Ida.

Stormwater Operations workers spent hours clearing creeks and culverts.

Over the last several days, crews have checked problem areas, including about 40 creeks that often become blocked and flood. They brought out heavy equipment to remove large tree limbs and branches blocking Long Creek on Oakdale Road in northwest Charlotte.

"Our challenge is to keep the conveyance open and flowing, and if we can keep the water flowing, it'll keep moving and it won't back up and cause problems upstream, and hopefully nobody will get flooded,” said Tommy Simmons of Mecklenburg County Stormwater Operations.

The extra leaves that have recently fallen are also a concern for crews. Many of the leaves are in the roads or covering storm drains, which could lead to more street flooding.

Click here to monitor creeks across Charlotte.

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The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for most of the Piedmont and into the foothills of North Carolinas.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH means conditions later on today will be prime for localized flooding of creeks, streams, and poor drainage areas.

If you see water covering roads, turn around! Do not try to drive through it. Just 6 inches of water can actually move a car!

Rain will continue all day from here until Wednesday. The rain will start out light but will really pick up overnight.

This is what makes this storm dangerous. Most flooding fatalities come during the night because you cannot see where water covers the road.

Up to 2 inches of rain will fall across most of the Metro with some areas seeing higher amounts - perhaps up to 4."

This will cause that water to pile up - especially as we edge closer and closer Wednesday. Stay tuned to Severe Weather Center 9 for the latest.

Meteorologist John P. Ahrens

• SEVERE WEATHERSee the latest watches and warnings across the region.

• LIVESTREAM WEATHER: Live Weather Updates 24/7 From Severe Weather Center 9 Now

• FORECAST: Severe Weather Center 9 On WSOCTV.com