Bay Area residents on Friday took heed of the warnings to be prepared for a series of storms expected to soak the region, especially in the North Bay.

Some Napa businesses, like Downtown Joe's on Main Street, say they used to deal with a lot of flooding. 

"My father, who started this business back 1993, used to come in here in waders just to check on the beer," said Downtown Joe's manager Bobby Peatman. "As long as the taps were above the water, everything was fine; we'd be good to go. 

But flood mitigation work over the years has made a huge impact.

"Since the Napa Valley flood project went into effect, we haven't seen any water in our business for about 10 to 15 years," said Peatman. 

A couple drove in from the Central Valley, getting some holiday shopping done in the rain.

"It's a little difficult, but it's kind of fun. I feel like I haven't been in the rain in a while." 

Stephanie McKinnis and her friend were here for a mom getaway weekend, but they know the ride back could get rough.  

"Rain or shine, we have fun," said McKinnis. 

In Santa Rosa, residents filled up sandbags to get ready for any potential flooding. 

"We have to do the clearing of the easement so the water can flow down the hill," said one Santa Rosa homeowner. "It's supposed to be my neighbor's responsibility."

In Petaluma, homeowners took advantage of lighter rains earlier in the day to clear the way for storm drains. 

"It will get clogged and flood here, so we want to keep our corner clean," said Petaluma resident Trent Taylor.