Remnants of Hurricane Beryl expected to bring rain, possible flooding to Michigan

Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall Monday in Texas as a Category 1 storm after slamming into Mexico and Jamaica and then sweeping across the Cayman Islands, is expected to keep moving across the United States, likely dumping rain on Tuesday and Wednesday — perhaps even enough to cause flooding — in Michigan.

"Hurricane Beryl obviously won’t be a hurricane by the time it reaches us," National Weather Service Meteorologist Megan Varcie in White Lake Township said. "But it will become a tropical depression and then transition in to more of just a low-pressure system and bring a lot of moisture into the area."

How much moisture? That's difficult to predict right now.

But as the storm gets closer, Varcie said forecasters will have a better idea of what to expect. It’s possible, though, that it could be enough — and inch or two or more — to cause some local flooding, especially in low areas that are prone to it.

Moreover, she said, Beryl is a reminder that what happens in one part of the world has consequences in others. While Michigan is far from the Atlantic and on the Gulf of Mexico, it can still feel the effects of the hurricane season, which lasts from June to the end of November.

Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of this year’s season, quickly became a Category 5 storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The "explosive strengthening" so early in the season, the agency said, was fueled, in part, by exceptionally war ocean temperatures — and heat, the agency said.

The hurricane lost some strength as it headed toward Texas, but left a path of destruction and so far killed 11 people, according to reports. Wind-whipped rain, for instance, pummeled Jamaica for hours as residents sought sheltered.

In southeast Michigan, forecasters are expecting scattered showers for the next couple of days, with highs in the upper 80s, which could trigger more rain. By Tuesday, Varcie said, expect a "more moisture-laden air mass," from the hurricane as it barrels toward the state.

And Tuesday night into Wednesday is when most of the rain from the former hurricane is expected.

"At this time, we’re expecting a wide-spread footprint of 1-2 inches of rain, but as we get closer, there probably will be some bands of higher precipitation amounts," Varcie warned. "But it’s still too early to know where those bands will be."

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.