Remnants of Hurricane Beryl could cause flooding in Michigan
Texas prepares for Tropical Storm Beryl
People along the Texas Gulf Coast are preparing for Tropical Storm Beryl.
Fox – Seattle
Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 storm after hitting Mexico and Jamaica and then sweeping through the Cayman Islands, is expected to continue moving across the United States, likely dumping rain on Tuesday and Wednesday – possibly enough to cause flooding in Michigan.
“Hurricane Beryl obviously won’t be a hurricane when it gets here,” said Megan Varcie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township. “But it will become a tropical depression and then develop into more of a pure low pressure system and bring a lot of moisture to the area.”
How much moisture? That’s difficult to predict at the moment.
But the closer the storm gets, the better meteorologists will know what to expect, Varcie said. But it’s possible the storm could be enough — an inch or two or more — to cause localized flooding, especially in low-lying areas that are prone to it.
In addition, she said, Beryl is a reminder that what happens in one part of the world has consequences in other parts. Although Michigan is far from the Atlantic Ocean and on the Gulf of Mexico, it still feels the effects of hurricane season, which runs from June to late November.
Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of this year’s season, quickly developed into 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 high ocean temperatures – and heat, the agency said.
The hurricane lost some of its strength on its way to Texas, but left a trail of devastation in its wake and has reportedly killed 11 people so far. In Jamaica, for example, heavy rain lashed for hours as residents sought shelter.
In southeast Michigan, meteorologists are expecting scattered showers with highs in the 30s over the next few days, which could trigger more rain. By Tuesday, Varcie said, a “more humid air mass” is expected, coming from the hurricane heading toward the state.
And most of the rain from the former hurricane is expected to fall on Tuesday night into Wednesday.
“Right now we’re expecting widespread rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, but as we get closer we’re likely to see some areas of higher rainfall,” Varcie warned. “But it’s too early to know where those areas will be.”
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected].
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