Florida governor declares state of emergency as Tropical Storm Erika nears

Florida Governor Rick Scott said Friday that Tropical Storm Erika poses a “severe threat to the entire state” and declared a state of emergency.

The storm could hit the peninsula Monday. Scott made his declaration shortly after forecasters adjusted the trajectory of the storm to show that it’s predicted to strike the southern tip of the state and then traverse northward.

The declaration ahead of time gives wide latitude to Scott and other state officials to prepare for the storm. The order calls for the activation of the National Guard and gives authorities the ability to waive tolls and rules to allow emergency crews and vehicles to move throughout the state.

A hurricane hasn’t hit Florida in 10 years. The latest forecasts show that Erika will remain a tropical storm when it makes landfall.

Scott said this week that the state has been fortunate in recent years, but he urged Floridians to watch the news and prepare for the worst. Some parts of the state are still recovering from heavy rains that caused flooding this summer.

On Friday, Erika lashed Puerto Rico with wind and rain and had killed at least four people. The storm was about 90 miles east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and was moving west at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

The storm was expected to dump up to 20 centimetres of rain across the drought-stricken northern Caribbean as it headed toward the Bahamas and the U.S.

Erika was located about 145 kilometres east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and was moving west near 28 kph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 85 kph.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic prepared for Erika’s arrival on Friday, including the popular tourist areas of Punta Cana, Samana and Puerto Plata.

Meanwhile, rescue crews in Dominica continued to search for missing and injured people after the storm dropped 38 centimetres of rain as it passed over the island.

Assistant Police Superintendent Claude Weekes said Friday by phone that authorities still haven’t been able to access many areas in the mountainous island because of impassable roads and bridges.

“The aftermath is loads of damage,” he said. “It really has been devastating.”

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit urged citizens of the country to help clear streets strewn with mud and toppled trees following the passage of the storm. Authorities were still assessing damage and were unable to reach some areas in the southeast of the island.

Erika caused rivers to overflow and roads and bridges to collapse on the island. An elderly blind man and two children were killed when a mudslide engulfed their home in the southeast. Another man was found dead in the capital following a mudslide at his home but the cause of death could not immediately be determined, said Police Chief Daniel Carbon.

Authorities said that approximately 20 people were missing and the number of confirmed deaths could rise.

People on the island told of narrowly escaping being engulfed by water as Erika downed trees and power lines as it unleashed heavy floods that swept cars down streets and ripped scaffolding off some buildings.

“I was preparing to go to work when all of a sudden I heard this loud noise and saw the place flooded with water,” said Shanie James, a 30-year-old mother who works at a bakery. “We had to run for survival.”

Mudslides also destroyed dozens of homes across Dominica, including that of 46-year-old security guard Peter Julian, who had joined friends after leaving work.

“When I returned, I saw that my house that I have lived in for over 20 years was gone,” he said. “I am blessed to be alive. God was not ready for me ... I have lost everything and now have to start all over again.”

In Puerto Rico, the storm knocked out power to more than 200,000 people and toppled trees but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Schools and government offices in the U.S. territory remained closed Friday.

Meanwhile in the Pacific, Ignacio strengthened into a hurricane. The storm’s maximum sustained winds increased Thursday morning to 150 kph.

Hurricane Ignacio was centred about 1,430 kilometres east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and was moving west-northwest near 19 kph.

Also in the Pacific, Jimena strengthened to a hurricane Friday morning with maximum sustained winds near 130 kph. Jimena was centred about 1,680 kilometres southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.