Tropical Storm Erika’s heavy rains have caused streets to flood and rivers to overflow in Dominica, as the storm moves through the northern Leeward Islands.
A band of torrential rain has triggered serious flash flooding on the island, with water up to the wheel wells on some vehicles.
A building collapsed in the deluge and there are reports of at least two people being swept away in the deluge.
Canefield Airport, near the capital, picked up 8.86 inches (225 millimeters) of rain in a six-hour period ending 8 a.m, according to the Weather Channel.
Tropical storm Erika passed between Antigua and Guadeloupe earlier this morning.
While they escaped the brunt of the storm, Dominica has not been as lucky.
And the heavy rains are expected to continue.
Tropical Erika is forecast to dump between 3 and 5 inches of rain in the Caribbean, from the northern Leeward Islands across parts of over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, with locally higher amounts, through Friday afternoon.
At 8 a.m., the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said the storm was poorly organized, but still had maximum sustained winds of about 50 miles per hour.
It was located about 85 miles west of Guadeloupe and headed towards the west near 16 miles per hour.
“A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast later today, and this general motion should continue for the next 48 hours. On the forecast track, the center of Erika will move near the Virgin Islands later today, move near or north of Puerto Rico tonight, and pass north of the north coast of the Dominican Republic on Friday,” the NHC said.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and sister islands Vieques and Culebra, and the US and British Virgin Islands.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Guadeloupe, the southeastern Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the north coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Cabo, and the NHC has advised interests elsewhere in the Dominican Republic to monitor Erika’s progress.
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