(NORTH WEBSTER) – The rain hadn’t even started and already the National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for a long list of rivers in its coverage area.

The flood warnings are for the St. Joseph River at Three Rivers, Elkhart and South Bend. Also the North Branch of the Elkhart River at Cosperville in Noble County along with the the Elkhart River at Goshen, and the St. Joseph River at Newville in DeKalb County and in Fort Wayne.

Rises on area rivers are expected to occur as a result of forecast rainfall. Timing and crest heights are still subject to change over the coming days.

Forecasters say we could see between 2 to 5 inches of rain starting today and lasting into Saturday afternoon.

Remember to never drive vehicles through flooded areas. The water may be too deep to allow safe passage. Never allow children to play in or near flood waters.

In addition, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch from 7 PM Friday until 7 PM Saturday for St. Joseph, Branch, Cass and Hillsdale Counties in Michigan along with LaGrange, Noble, Elkhart, and Steuben Counties in Indiana.

If you live in areas that are prone to flooding, you should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. Monitor the forecasts for any updates.

Forecasters say by late Saturday afternoon and into the overnight hours, rain will mix with and turn into snow, sleet and freezing rain with little snow and ice accumulations.