Caribbean - Tropical Cyclone ERIKA

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 04:28:00 +02:00

Tropical Storm ERIKA continued moving north-west slightly weakening, On 28 August at 3.00 UTC its centre was located approx. 135km south-southwest of St. Croix and it had maximum sustained winds of 74 km/h.
Over the next 48 h it is forecasted to move west-northwest maintaining its speed. It will then intensify. Its centre is forecasted to approach Puerto Rico on 28 August early morning (UTC), then move near or over the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and eventually the Bahamas (30-31 August).
During its passage heavy rain fell on Dominica causing floods, landslides and power outages. Five people are reported dead, 21 missing and several homes destroyed.
As of 28 August, Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches are in affect for the islands along ERIKA’s path. Heavy rainfall and wind (Tropical Storm force) may affect the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Turks and Caicos islands and southeastern Bahamas over the next 48 h. JRC calculations estimate a storm surge of the order of 1.1m in the area of Hard Bargain in the Bahamas on 31 August evening.