At 5:00 p.m. the estimated position of Tropical Storm Erika was 17.9N 71.2W, or between Pedernales and Barahona. The new track foresees a passage of the cloud mass wide 500km by 700km long, on the departments of South-East, West, Centre, Artibonite and Northwest, however, all departments are at risk of rain and winds.

Erika is currently moving west at 33 Km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 85Km/h and higher gusts. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 220 kilometers east of the center.

The National Hurricane Center indicates turn toward the west-northwest or northwest is expected tonight, with this motion continuing with a decrease in forward speed through Sunday.

On the forecast track, the center of Erika will move over the Dominican Republic and Haiti during the next several hours, and be near the southeastern Bahamas or eastern Cuba on Saturday.

Erika is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression on Saturday. There is a possibility that Erika could dissipate to a trough of low pressure during or after its passage over Hispaniola.

The Southeast department already starting to feel the passage of Erika, rain falls especially at Anse-à-Pitres. The government has asked all the municipal and local authorities to open temporary shelters, and assist the people in risk areas to move. All operations relating to air traffic are suspended from 6:00 tonight. Also the movement of vehicles between the different geographical departments is prohibited from 6:00 tonight.

Today at the National Emergency Operation Centre (COUN), during a press conference in the presence of Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, the Director of Civil Protection, Rothchild François Jr., Minister Communication, Ariel Henry, the Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities and the Haitian Red Cross have declared "There are more than 180 emergency structures that are ready, 250 teams of brigadiers (with 16 to 50 people each ); we have about 80 chain saws that are available. The Risk Management System and National Disasters in Haiti maintains contact with other systems in the Caribbean to facilitate the exchange of information [...] We keep the orange alert level on all departments."

The Maritime Service and of avigation of Haiti (SEMANAH) banned all cabotage operations (of the sea) on all the coasts of Haiti until further notice.

"I call on the population to be vigilant at the passage of the storm Erika. Follow the safety instructions issued by the authorities," launched the President Martelly to the population.

The Youth Government of Haiti (GJH) urges people to think particularly to two things: the continuous rains that could cause flooding and strong wind blows. Thus, the GJH invites to take precautions over cables and electrical wires that might be life-threatening, but also to clean street gutters to avoid the possibility of flooding. But also to pay attention to children, pregnant women, the disabled and the elderly.

Instructions :

• Prepare to evacuate areas prone to flooding and landslides (seaside, gullies, rivers, mountain slopes, etc...) ;

• Do not cross rivers in flood under any circumstances ;

• In case of thunderstorms and strong winds, you do not shelter near windows and wooded area ;

• Secure anything that can be carried by the wind and is located outside the house, trash, tools, posters, lamps, decorative bulbs ;

• Go down any heavy object placed above: antennas, signs... ;

• Do not go in the sea. If you are already there, come back to the mainland ;

• Refit boats and moor them well away from shore securely ;

Follow the progress of Erika in the next hour on HaitiLibre.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14972-haiti-flash-erika-changes-direction-and-threatens-more-widely-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14970-haiti-erika-the-government-announces-measures-and-calls-for-vigilance.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-14965-haiti-erika-haiti-en-alerte-orange-la-menace-est-serieuse.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14955-haiti-notice-storm-erika-should-affect-northern-haiti.html

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre