Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY 28 AUG,2015
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UP FRONT A3
Friday 28 August 2015
At least 4 killed in Dominica as
Tropical Storm Erika hits island
CARLISLE BAPTISTE steep terrain. Authorities A river overflows, affecting some homes along its banks, due to Tropical Storm Erika in Roseau,
DANICA COTO were still conducting a full Dominica, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Streets across Dominica turned into fast-flowing rivers that
Associated Press damage assessment af- swept up cars as the storm pummeled the eastern Caribbean island.
ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — ter rivers surged over their
Streets across Dominica banks and walls of mud (AP Photo/Carlisle Jno Baptiste)
turned into fast-flowing riv- surged into homes.
ers that swept up cars as About 80 percent of the about 30 miles (50 kilome- Erika is expected to dump Dozens of flights were
Tropical Storm Erika pum- island was without electric- ters) north of the island between 4 to 8 inches (10 canceled in the region,
meled the eastern Carib- ity, and water supply was overnight Thursday, said to 20 centimeters) of rain and the U.S. Coast Guard
bean island, unleashing cut off, authorities said. Odalys Martinez, with the across the region, with up closed all ports in Puerto
landslides and killing at Trees and light poles were National Weather Service to 12 inches (31 centime- Rico and the U.S. Virgin
least four people. strewn across streets as wa- in San Juan. ters) in some areas. Islands.q
The storm, which forecast- ter rushed over parked cars
ers said could reach Florida and ripped the scaffold-
as a hurricane on Monday, ing off some buildings. The
knocked out power and main airport was closed
water supplies on Domini- due to flooding, with water
ca as it dumped 15 inches rushing over at least one
(38 centimeters) of rain on small plane.
the small island and head- The main river that cuts
ed west into the Caribbean through the capital over-
Sea. An elderly blind man flowed its banks and surg-
and two children were ing water crashed into the
killed when a mudslide principal bridge that leads
crashed into their home in into Roseau.
the southeast of the island, “The capital city is a
said Police Superintendent wreck,” policewoman Tee-
Daniel Carbon. Another sha Alfred said. “It is a sight
man was found dead near to behold. It’s a disaster.”
his home in the capital of Erika was likely to hit the is-
Roseau after a mudslide, land of Hispaniola, which
but the cause of death is shared by Haiti and the
was could not be immedi- Dominican Republic, said
ately determined, Carbon chief forecaster James
told The Associated Press. Franklin at the National Hur-
Police said another 20 peo- ricane Center.
ple have been reported “That would certainly not
missing. be good news for Hispan-
Erika was centered about iola,” he said. “They’re very
175 miles (280 kilometers) vulnerable to flooding. And
west of Guadeloupe, and even if Erika is a weak sys-
was moving west at 15 tem that could be very
mph (24 kph) with maxi- bad there.”
mum sustained winds that Officials shuttered schools,
had slipped slightly to 45 government offices and
mph (75 kph), according to businesses across the re-
the U.S. National Hurricane gion and warned of flash
Center in Miami. flooding because of dry
Erika was expected to conditions caused by the
move near Puerto Rico worst drought to hit the
and the Virgin Islands on Caribbean in recent years.
Thursday and be near or Authorities warned power
just north of the Dominican and water service might
Republic on Friday as it be temporarily cut off.
heads toward Florida early Puerto Rico Gov. Alejan-
next week, possibly as a dro Garcia Padilla said
hurricane. the storm could bring
Chris Landsea, a meteorol- badly needed rains to the
ogist at the hurricane cen- parched U.S. territory.
ter, said the storm could “We’re happy given the
dissipate if it passed over dry conditions, but it does
Hispaniola or Puerto Rico or highlight the need to be on
it could gather and pose a alert,” he said, adding that
potential threat to Florida heavy downpours could
next week. “The uncertain- lead to flash floods. He ac-
ties are very high,” he said. tivated the National Guard
As the storm entered the as a precaution.
Caribbean, it did the heavi- The heaviest rains were ex-
est damage to Dominica, pected to hit Puerto Rico’s
an island of about 72,000 eastern region, with the
people of lush forests and storm expected to pass
