Flood defense barriers were being installed at Exeter Quay and along the River Severn, barriers are being deployed in Exeter, part of the flood defense plan, and temporary barriers are already in place or ready to be installed along the Severn.
Staff at the Environment Agency, responsible for flood defences, are expected to go on strike from Friday morning in a long-running dispute with the Government over pay and conditions.
The Government said it was working to mitigate the impact of the strike, which could include the use of automatic flood warnings.
Although the worst of the storm is expected to pass on Friday, heavy rain is expected to continue through the weekend.
Steven Keates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “With Storm Ciaran having passed, the weather over the weekend continues to look unsettled to many, with further showers and rain at times.
“Warnings will continue to be updated over the coming days so it is important to stay up to date with the Met Office forecast and warnings in your area.”
Meanwhile, BBC Weather said the strong jet stream responsible for Storm Ciaran was also speeding up transatlantic flights from North America by about an hour.