The National Hurricane Center (NHC) informs that the tropical storm named Erika, was Thursday morning at 5:00 at 16.8N 61.5W, or 35 km to the southeast of Antigua and Barbuda, 55 km north of Guadeloupe. It is currently moving at 26 km/h along a trajectory West. A turn to the West Northwest is expected later today and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 48 hours.

Under the current trajectory and unless changes, Friday the departments of northern Haiti, should feel the effects, rain and winds, should be noted that the center passing over the Turks and Caicos the effects should be less important. The current forecast includes winds of 85km/h with higher gusts. The winds extend outward up to 165 km from the center of Erika, mainly to the north and east.

It is expected that Erika passes off the North Coast e the Dominican Republic on Friday afternoon, at a distance of 120km, "Erika is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches," indicates the NHC for the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos etc... but does not mention the amount of precipitation for Haiti.

"Haiti will feel the effects of the storm Erika Thursday and Friday [...] The whole country is threatened by heavy rains and winds which, if they are not of cyclone intensity, are dangerous enough for us," indicated Wednesday the meteorologist Ronald Semelfort, Director of the National Meteorological Centre (CNM).

The CNM calls the communities living in areas at risk of floods and landslides, to remain vigilant in relation to heavy rain, provided for the various geographical departments, particularly in the north of Haiti.

Civil Protection, the Haitian Red Cross and the authorities coordinate their preventive work, while keeping ready to open temporary shelters "We invite people to move as soon as possible in their families, out of vulnerable neighborhoods," declared Wednesday Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, the Director of Civil Protection.

HL/ HaitiLibre