The National Weather Service said there's a small chance Bear Creek near McKee Road could see flooding by Thursday night.
City leaders say they're not taking any risks.
"Forecast can change. Weather can change. A cell could come over us and stay on top of us and provide some additional precipitation that we didn't anticipate," said Merced City Fire Chief Casey Wilson.
As crews work to clear debris, Wilson encourages people to prepare their homes for the heavy downpour.
"You just kinda wanna go through and do some house cleaning, prep those gutters, make sure those drains are clear. A lot of the leaves stayed on the tree long this year because we didn't have a lot of wind or rain or freeze to help not those leaves off,"
Wilson said wind gusts up to 30 miles an hour is also expected.
The city is working with the National Weather Service and county agencies to stay ready.
"We all wanna make sure that we're communicating that same type of message so that the public is best to wear when we do get a storm system coming in that we're prepared and they're prepared as well," said Merced County Spokesman, Mike North.
County officials urge drivers to slow down and watch for hazards like downed trees and potholes.
And they said they're ready for whatever comes.
"Through our Office of Emergency Services, we're always planning, prepping and making sure we're ready for when a storm system does come in," said North.
The county encourages people to visit their website for more helpful resources.