(RALEIGH) -- Flooding is a concern as Tropical Depression Beryl brings heavy rain to portions of central and eastern North Carolina on Wednesday. North Carolina News Network meteorologist Mike Moss said Beryl is expected to strengthen to a tropical storm as it moves off the South Carolina coast but tropical storm force winds should stay off the North Carolina coast.

"Expect some flooding potential along about the I-95 corridor eastward to the coast," said Moss.  "For the most part it looks like in that area we could see as much as 1 to 4 inches of rain associated with Beryl, mainly during the morning to midday and maybe early afternoon hours.  There is the potential that there could be a couple pockets or bands here and there where we see as much as 3 to 6 inches."

Moss added that if Beryl does strengthen to a tropical storm, the major winds from the storm should still stay offshore.  The storm is expected to move away from North Carolina late today with the northeastern part of the state potentially still seeing some rain early Thursday.