BATON ROUGE - The National Weather Service is warning of a weeklong threat of heavy rain across much of Louisiana.

A Moderate Risk (Level 3 of 4) for excessive rainfall has been issued for areas from Lake Charles through Alexandria and Monroe.

Flash Flood Watches are already in effect for much of the state through Wednesday morning.

The American Red Cross is encouraging people to get prepared now and stay weather aware.

The Red Cross recommends putting together an emergency kit with essentials like water, nonperishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries and important documents.

If flooding occurs, officials say it’s important to move to higher ground right away and never drive through flooded roads.

Drivers are reminded to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.” Just 12 inches of moving water can carry away a vehicle.

Make sure you stay up-to-date with weather conditions through the WBRZ Storm Station app.