PHOENIX — A significant amount of rainfall is making its way toward the Valley after a drier than usual monsoon season.
"It's very much needed," Maricopa County Flood Warning Branch Manager Stephen Waters said. "A lot of the watersheds are quite dry and will absorb a good amount of this moisture, but we still think probably enough will come that we'll get some runoff."
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Saquen los paraguas: El valle espera lluvias significativas
The Maricopa County Flood Control District is monitoring the impending winter storm.
Waters said they're not expecting any major flooding, but it's always a possibility.
"The overlying areas and unbridged crossings of washes will be at risk," Waters said.
Waters said they're watching a swath up through western Maricopa County.
"We expect to see some runoff in things like New River, and Skunk Creek, and Hassayampa, and the Agua Fria, but because it's been dry for relatively long time, we're not expecting any kind of flooding along the major rivers," Waters said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is also preparing for the storm.
"Our snowplows are ready. We've gone through and looked at our drainage systems. Our pump stations are serviced," ADOT spokesperson Steve Elliott said.
Elliott said ADOT is not expecting any flooding along the major highways.
"Pump stations and our gravity works that we have on I-17 and other freeways, those can be taxed if we get more than two inches of rain in one spot in about an hour," Elliott said.
An estimated 2.2 million Arizonans will travel for the holidays, according to AAA.
Experts recommend staying cautious on the road.
"These floods don't last for very long. So, you can either wait it out or find another way around, but don't risk it because even if the water looks shallow, you don't know the condition of the road underneath," Waters said.
If travelling up north, ADOT recommends packing an emergency kit filled with cold weather items, including blankets, an ice scraper and small shovel.
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