Southeast Michigan urged to prepare for flooding, clear basements as Beryl approaches

As the remnants of Beryl make their way Tuesday toward part of Michigan, the Great Lakes Water Authority is warning that heavy rainfall could unleash a deluge in metro Detroit, leading to potential flooding.

One to three inches of rain is forecast across southeast Michigan, with as much as 4 inches in some areas.

"Beryl is bringing us some heavy rainfall," Sara Schultz, a National Weather Service meteorologist in White Lake Township, told the Free Press. "Showers will start working in this afternoon, and then the heaviest rain will be overnight into Wednesday."

The good news, however, is that it’s mostly just rain, she said.

Beryl, which at one point was a Category 5 hurricane, has been blamed for at least seven deaths, including six in Texas and one in Louisiana. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale is the most intense, with wind speeds of 158 mph or more.

As for when the storm finally reaches Michigan, there may be rumbles of thunder with flashes of lightning, forecasters said; but not the high winds that have knocked out power to more than 2 million homes and businesses in Texas and other places as the churning storm makes its way north.

Rain showers, forecasters said, started hitting parts of Indiana and Ohio, but the worst of it likely won’t hit Michigan until midnight, which means, depending on what kind of flooding it causes, morning commutes for some could be treacherous.

Rainfall is expected to continue through Wednesday, but should stop sometime Thursday, giving way to a dry — but hot — Friday and weekend with highs edging toward 90 degrees or more, which could help get rid of water that hasn’t drained away.

The water authority — which provides wastewater and drinking water treatment in several counties including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb — said its system is working, but still warned the excessive rainfall could overwhelm it.

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

The water authority is urging residents in flood-prone areas to remove items of value from their basements as a precaution, and encouraging everyone to postpone running washing machines and dishwashers during the heavy rainfall to keep water out of the system.

Unrelated to the storms, Sylvan issued a do not drink alert Monday, after a man broke reportedly broke into the Washtenaw County township’s water treatment facility and tampered with controls, according to Michigan State Police. The suspect, a 33-year-old Belleville resident, was arrested and taken to the Washtenaw County Jail.

As for the expected storm, the Great Lakes Water Authority added it is "prepared to operate the system as designed in the face of the anticipated severe storm," but asked residents in "low-lying areas that are prone to flooding during heavy rainfall" to be vigilant.

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